Humor

Christianity is serious. It's a matter of life and death. Heaven and Hell. If we really see the people around us as eternal souls and understand that any given day might be their last, we should feel an intense urgency about sharing Jesus with others.

Yes, Christianity is serious business. But that doesn't mean we should always take ourselves seriously. Sometimes the best way to break down walls of intolerance or indifference in others is through humor. Everyone loves to laugh. And it's kind of hard to feel bitter toward someone who just cracked you up.

For a long time I've had a Points System. I give points to anyone who makes me laugh out loud, and much to my delight, lots of people work hard to earn them. Of course the points don't have any real material value. You can't exchange them for money or marvelous prizes. But that doesn't seem to matter. Laughter is a reward in itself.

This is why I love Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey. To date Jack Handey has earned about 37 gazillion points. When I hear or read his "deep thoughts," I sometimes laugh so hard tears stream down my cheeks. Here's a sample:

"If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting."

Christianity is serious, but I also believe God has a sense of humor. He created laughter and declared a merry heart to be good medicine. People may not always listen to us if we wave a Bible in their faces. But if we approach the whole thing from a wondering-if-God-likes-enchiladas perspective, we may at least get a chance to share our faith and the hope that's within us--a hope that's sure and steadfast and goes much deeper than the deepest of deep thoughts. Deeper even than that last serving of enchiladas.