Laughter

"For I saw that finny goblin
       Hidden in the abyss untrod;
And I knew there can be laughter
       On the secret face of God."
-G.K. Chesterton, "The Fish"

If there is one thing I love about those I am closest to, it is their fabulous senses of humor.  My friends and family are funny people.  They make me laugh, to the point of tears sometimes.  And how beautiful is a good, hearty laugh!  Afterward, I feel full.  There is a sense of completion that I think comes from experiencing an external expression of inward happiness.  Just letting it all out makes me feel full.  A paradox?  Yes, but don't paradoxes reveal so much truth?  Sharing inward happiness with others externally through laughter is a great gift.

There is someone who has a perfect sense of humor... God.  One of my friends and I constantly say, "God is funny!  All the time!"  If I look at how my crazy life somehow falls into place, I cannot help but think God is chuckling to Himself up in Heaven.  As G.K. Chesterton's poem, "The Fish," proposes, if we look at all the funny lookin' animals, how can we not believe in God's sense of humor?  Have you ever seen an axolotl?  That is one freaky fish...

If we look at the Bible, though, there are no instances of Jesus laughing.  The Gospels record the important miracles, the important sermons, the Passion and the Resurrection.  There are no quirky narratives.  One of my favorite scenes from The Passion of the Christ is a flashback showing Jesus and Mary teasing each other.  It's so human, so loving.  Why not record these instances in the Gospels?  Maybe because they were irrelevant to the big picture.  Or maybe...

"There was something that He hid from all men when He went up a mountain to pray.  There was something that He covered constantly by abrupt silence or impetuous isolation.  There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth." -G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Maybe because God's joy is so complete and perfect and big, it would have been too much for us to handle.  Maybe He simply enjoys weaving His humor into the subtleties of our lives.  Maybe it's a better adventure that way.

In any case, I am sure He loves hearing us laugh.