Thursday, June 14, 2007
Why Isn't This Funny?
I think this video that MMI posted a while back is supposed to be funny, but I was horrified. Parody is supposed to be just enough over-the-top so as to be a bit absurd. Sadly, I could find no absurdity in the piece as I have experienced real claims of spiritual gifting as outrageous as the video's protagonist's claim of being gifted to play dodgeball.
The video, and its real world analogs, is the prosperity gospel writ large. God grants us our fondest dreams, or so the presumption goes. Maybe I hold the gospel too precious to see the humor in this, or maybe I experience the pain of its misunderstanding too deeply, but I can only react to it with sorrow, not laughter.
God is not about helping us reach our goals. We should be about conforming ourselves to His goals. That does not mean God won't bless our earthly efforts, but it does not mean He will either.
The confusion illustrated by the video is too common, and more it is too commonly exploited by those claiming to act in God's name to be funny. Maybe that is why I did not find humor, because I hurt for those that are dupped by similar claims under very real circumstances.
Humorous ridicule is supposed to be one of the best weapons against bad ideas. But does this video produce a sufficient sense of ridicule?
I don't know, I just know I hope and pray that things were different.
Related Tags: Spiritual gifts, humor, parody
The video, and its real world analogs, is the prosperity gospel writ large. God grants us our fondest dreams, or so the presumption goes. Maybe I hold the gospel too precious to see the humor in this, or maybe I experience the pain of its misunderstanding too deeply, but I can only react to it with sorrow, not laughter.
God is not about helping us reach our goals. We should be about conforming ourselves to His goals. That does not mean God won't bless our earthly efforts, but it does not mean He will either.
The confusion illustrated by the video is too common, and more it is too commonly exploited by those claiming to act in God's name to be funny. Maybe that is why I did not find humor, because I hurt for those that are dupped by similar claims under very real circumstances.
Humorous ridicule is supposed to be one of the best weapons against bad ideas. But does this video produce a sufficient sense of ridicule?
I don't know, I just know I hope and pray that things were different.
Related Tags: Spiritual gifts, humor, parody
