We need to laugh! Our Celebrate Recovery ministry sponsored comedian Dennis Swanberg to come tonight for their third anniversary. Last night in our Sunday evening service we enjoyed Swanberg, the Prequel. I had never heard Dennis in person, but from his videos I knew he was funny. He did not disappoint. I laughed until I cried.
Have you noticed the fine line between grief and joy? Why do we laugh until we cry? And some are crying, hoping to laugh again. One man reportedly went to a therapist to find comfort in his sorrow. The therapist, sensing his sadness said, “There is a clown in town at a show and he is so funny. I want you to go and see him to take your mind off of your pain.” The patient confessed, “But Dr. I am that clown.” Robin Williams comes to mind. Did his brilliant humor somehow mask the depth of his pain?
Paul wrote a painful letter to the Corinthians to awaken them out of their complacency. It is hard to speak a hard word to those whom we love. Paul confessed in this letter, “I did not want to make you sad, because if I make you sad, who will make me glad?” All of us who have family understand his point. Life is heavy, sometimes. Tragedy surrounds us. As Dennis reminded us last night, in a sad world, it is good to laugh. No matter what we face today, as believers in Christ, our joy depends not on circumstances but on him. Let’s find all of our joy in Christ. And if you need to laugh, Swanberg is back at Tallowood this evening. God has gifted him to help us laugh. Did I mention, we need to laugh!
