In the darkness of the night flight, his computer screen glowed. His face reflected the light from his laptop and he worked diligently for most of the 5 hours we were in the air. I'm not sure if he was a preacher or a teacher but he was working on a powerpoint presentation on 'the royal psalm'. He had page after powerpoint page of notes and I imagined the audience being wowed or bowed by the sheer volume of the work he had put into it. Then, shortly before the flight ended, he flipped to another presentation. It had a much more interesting title. "What Makes God Laugh" Now I'm REALLY trying to see the screen because, frankly, I'd like to know what makes God laugh. With the state of the world the way it is ... I can easily imagine him crying but I have difficulty seeing the great Him typing 'lol' into a cosmic text messenger.
My fellow passenger didn't seem approachable. Not because he looked mean but because he looked busy. Intent. When I'm working on my writing, I hate being interupted because it's hard to keep focus in the first place but it's even harder to find the 'sense' of the words once the link has been broken. So I wanted to be respectful. I decided to ask him when we landed and he was standing in the aisle. But, as it happened, with a light flight he was up and out. And I was left to figure this out on my own.
Here are three things that I think make God laugh:
People who think that swearing is obscene but that greed, hatred and jealousy aren't.
People who think that their talent, or their money, or their vocabulary makes them better than others.
People who think that God's heart is only big enough to love them and their friends.
Hmmm, I look at the list now and realize - these are my pet peeves - and, even though I'm 'outsized', I can't speak for the Almighty.
Let me take another shot.
Here are three things that I think make God laugh:
Skinny black pants.
Freedom of speech without freedom of thought.
Loving ice cream and tolerating others.
Hmmm, again, that's ME. OK, I give. I have no idea at all what makes God laugh. I mean, I love the idea that He does, I hope He gets and night off every now and then. I know that often when I pray - it's serious to me but it must sound a lot like begging, pleading and bargaining to Him. I'm a trained counsellor and I wouldn't want to have to listen to me praying half the time. So, I hope He laughs and I really wish I'd asked the guy on the plane. So I need some ideas about this.
So, I'm curious, what do you think makes God laugh ...
Of course God laughs! He made us in his image, including the incredible gift of humour. Anyone who spends a little time reading the Bible will find it filled with humour. And lastly--again--he made us! We must keep the corridors of heaven filled with hilarity. I'm just thinking of my "roid rage" comment of a few days ago. God started snickering at that even before Dave did.
ReplyDeleteGod laughs every morning -- as soon as he catches on to what I have planned out for my day... Then he rolls up his sleeves and sets about straightening it all out for me. :o)
ReplyDeleteMore on God laughing. Our five year old grandson Stephen, with us for the afternoon, overheard me telling my husband Paul about the topic on your blog today and what I'd written in my comment. He had something to say:
ReplyDelete"I have two Bibles" (He speaks with authority)
"They both say different things"(I'm getting worried now)
"I looked on the God laughs page and it says, "God doesn't laugh"" (Right now--God is laughing) :)
...Duck-billed platipuses (or is that "platipi"?) Fur covered mammals that lay eggs?
ReplyDeleteAnd elephants... they're monstrously huge animals, and they can pick up a peanut with their freakin' big noses, for Pete's sake.
This is a really old post but...
ReplyDeleteI think platypuses make God laugh. And maybe squid, and DEFINATELY kittens, especially the kind of poufy neurotic ones.