Laughter to me is a form of prayer. I believe this because laughter is a full body experience. You process the joke in your brain, your body responds with a sound of joy, your heart and soul dance to the music coming from you.
We live in a world where so often we focus on the brokenness and pain. To be sure, we should not ignore these realities and especially those who are hurt and need healing. Yet, if we think we can manufacture a perfect world before we every laugh or enjoy...we might be waiting awhile.
I take joy in the fact that I believe Jesus laughed joyfully at times. I think of the time some religious people asked him about paying taxes. He asked for a coin...inquired about whose image on was on it...then I am convinced he pocketed that coin given to him. Or the time when he invited himself over to Zacchaeus' house, he had to be laughing to himself. I wished we had more stories about Jesus telling jokes with his disciples. There needs to be moments when we allow the cathartic release laughter brings.
Would you please pray with me:
God who delights in the peculiar and perplexing,
God who formed the duck-billed platypus
And who crafted colorful rainbows that come out after the rain.
God who loved to appear in the most random ways
To Moses in a burning bush that wasn't consumed...
To Elijah who fled for his life and was hiding in a cave...
To our world in a dusty, drafty barn...
Help us find our love of laughing.
Help us rekindle our ability to laugh at ourselves.
For me to laugh when I get too serious or somber or scholarly,
Let Your grace work and wiggle in my life,
Tickling my soul with joy.
Surround us in these days to hear the beauty of laughter...
Sustain us in these days to see the wonder of joyfulness...
Strengthen us in these days to not only sing about joy to the world, but to embody that prayer in our very lives.
In the name of the One whose presence still brings a smile to our faces.
Amen.
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