Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Depends on How It Matters
Jon Acuff says humor and laughter should matter to Christians. I am not surprised to hear Evangelicalism chief snarkist come to that conclusion. He is correct, humor is the stuff of Christianity, but humor, like everything else can be good or bad.
Let's face it, it is easy to be humorous in criticism, it is hard to be humorous and uplift. This is not to say that criticism is always unChristian either. But, when the object is to get laughs, it is easy to criticize relentlessly and indiscriminately looking for the laugh, not the context.
Laughter can also serve to deemphsize a point. I cannot tell you how many sermons I have heard featuring a really great and funny illustration. When people left they could tell you the funny story, but not what it was illustrating. Oops.
Christians should laugh more than anyone else. But like in all things we do, in the right time, place and context.
Christianity laughter
Let's face it, it is easy to be humorous in criticism, it is hard to be humorous and uplift. This is not to say that criticism is always unChristian either. But, when the object is to get laughs, it is easy to criticize relentlessly and indiscriminately looking for the laugh, not the context.
Laughter can also serve to deemphsize a point. I cannot tell you how many sermons I have heard featuring a really great and funny illustration. When people left they could tell you the funny story, but not what it was illustrating. Oops.
Christians should laugh more than anyone else. But like in all things we do, in the right time, place and context.
Christianity laughter
