laughter

"...man is distinguished from all other creatures by the faculty of laughter..." joseph addison


so this idea is one i've been thinking about lately. as people, we are created in God's image. he created us to have many of his attributes (excluding some cool ones like being all-knowing and all-powerful. that's okay, you can't trust us with one's that are that crazy). like, we can create life, which if you can wrap your head around it is NUTS, but we can. and we can love, which is something that he is much better versed in than we could ever aspire to be, but we are given the capacity to love more and more and more. and (at times) we have kindness, patience, goodness...

but i'm thinking, if we're made in his image, and we can laugh, does God ever laugh? does he float (i imagine he must float. or at least he can if he wants to...) amongst the world having a good chuckle every now and again?

there's this word. a big fat greek one- anthropomorphism. it's when we give god human traits, like saying he has hands, or that he rests. which, technically, he doesn't do those things, but it helps us to understand him better. since he's the kind of God that told moses he'd pretty much die if he got a good look at him, we're not so sure what our creator God is or if he "looks" like something. he's not a man. or a woman, you crazy feminists. he is much further beyond what we can grasp or imagine.

but we, in some ways, are like him. which is awesome.

now, the Bible isn't necessarily a funny book, but i don't think that has any bearing on whether or not God has a sense of humor. i bet God is pretty serious. but i'm thinking he's one of those serious types that once in a while comes out with something that makes you laugh so hard it hurts. you know those types? that's how i picture God to be. there are instances in the Bible where puns are used or where people are being facetious. Jesus always had some witty things to say to the Pharisees, paul had a couple good ones in there, and elijah had a classic line in 1 Kings, so there's a sprinkling of humor that does come across in translation.

but i love to think that God really laughs, even if not literally, he figuratively must. if he can enjoy, which he does, then he can laugh a little. maybe throw a joke or two out there for the angels, i don't know.

it's just one of those things i think about. probably because i love to laugh, which i know i've mentioned before. and he made people special by giving us a body, a soul, and a spirit, and by separating us by the faculty of laughter.


right now, the jury's out. i'll have to wait a while to ask him, i figure, but what do you all think?