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The Laughing Spirit
May. 17th, 2011 10:36 am"The meeting of religions is the single greatest hope for humanity. If the religions can meet in peace, joy and mutual reverence, every act of human aggression and intolerance can be stripped of the justification it claims from its own interpretation of religion. The joyful laughter of the Spirit must eventually then bring it to its senses." ~~ Laurence Freeman
I’ve been thinking the last couple of weeks about what folks need me to write for this article…and it seems evident to me that what we all most need to do now is laugh. Why? Well, other than it being an effective form of birth control, if properly applied, it’s also one of the actions that links us all as human beings—no matter what faith, what culture, what role in society. Everyone laughs! Isn’t it nice to be all one world in more than sorrow?
What is humorous to one, of course, isn’t always funny to someone else. Personally, I tend to be drawn to real life situations that are funny in the moment, such as the day I was sorting the mail at the office and came across a copy of Field and Stream with the featured article, “Twenty Ways to Fool Trout”. My immediate response was trying to think of twenty. Couldn’t do it. And then I imagined who might be standing at their mailbox, transfixed by a copy of this magazine in their hands, thinking, “All right! Just what I was waiting for!” Need I say more?
Statistics tell us the average adult laughs about seventeen times a day, and the Encyclopedia Britannica says laughter is a rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory and involuntary action. Well, so it sounds like several sneezes right in a row, so what?
In researching the links below, what I discovered is that religious humor sites, no matter the faith, would much rather make fun of themselves than others. So let me give you a brief rundown of these links and what I liked best about them…
First and foremost, A Lighter Side of Buddhism, web hosted by my friend Meng, who claims he is named after a famous ape in Singapore.
For Christians, first check out The Joke Closet. Or maybe your spirit’s a little hungrier lately. How about the Church of the Covered Dish? Or, if you seem to be barking at everyone lately, why not try the Virtual Church of the Blind Chihuahua?
But what if you’re Jewish and need some cheer? Why, go to the Mishmash Jewish Humor page! Hey, those jokes are good, but believe it or not, even better are the cartoons at Chopped Liver. Then, type on over to the Jewish Humor Site.
Finally, if you are Pagan, and desire some earthly humor, make a stop at Beth's Pagan Humor Page, the Pagan Joke Page, or even The Blessed Bee for a chuckle.
Above all, remember that no one can take away your ability to choose how you respond to a given situation. We sometimes forget that even though bombs, armies, chemicals, germs, evil and hatred are formidable forces, love is the greatest force in the universe! It is only bodies and buildings that can be destroyed. Our spirits live on, forever!
I’ve been thinking the last couple of weeks about what folks need me to write for this article…and it seems evident to me that what we all most need to do now is laugh. Why? Well, other than it being an effective form of birth control, if properly applied, it’s also one of the actions that links us all as human beings—no matter what faith, what culture, what role in society. Everyone laughs! Isn’t it nice to be all one world in more than sorrow?
What is humorous to one, of course, isn’t always funny to someone else. Personally, I tend to be drawn to real life situations that are funny in the moment, such as the day I was sorting the mail at the office and came across a copy of Field and Stream with the featured article, “Twenty Ways to Fool Trout”. My immediate response was trying to think of twenty. Couldn’t do it. And then I imagined who might be standing at their mailbox, transfixed by a copy of this magazine in their hands, thinking, “All right! Just what I was waiting for!” Need I say more?
Statistics tell us the average adult laughs about seventeen times a day, and the Encyclopedia Britannica says laughter is a rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory and involuntary action. Well, so it sounds like several sneezes right in a row, so what?
In researching the links below, what I discovered is that religious humor sites, no matter the faith, would much rather make fun of themselves than others. So let me give you a brief rundown of these links and what I liked best about them…
First and foremost, A Lighter Side of Buddhism, web hosted by my friend Meng, who claims he is named after a famous ape in Singapore.
For Christians, first check out The Joke Closet. Or maybe your spirit’s a little hungrier lately. How about the Church of the Covered Dish? Or, if you seem to be barking at everyone lately, why not try the Virtual Church of the Blind Chihuahua?
But what if you’re Jewish and need some cheer? Why, go to the Mishmash Jewish Humor page! Hey, those jokes are good, but believe it or not, even better are the cartoons at Chopped Liver. Then, type on over to the Jewish Humor Site.
Finally, if you are Pagan, and desire some earthly humor, make a stop at Beth's Pagan Humor Page, the Pagan Joke Page, or even The Blessed Bee for a chuckle.
Above all, remember that no one can take away your ability to choose how you respond to a given situation. We sometimes forget that even though bombs, armies, chemicals, germs, evil and hatred are formidable forces, love is the greatest force in the universe! It is only bodies and buildings that can be destroyed. Our spirits live on, forever!
