By Kimberly Davidson
A new monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to help the other monks in copying the old texts by hand. He notices, however, that they are copying copies, and not the original books. So, the new monk goes to the head monk to ask him about this. He points out that if there was an error in the first copy, that error would be continued in all of the other copies. The head monk says, “We’ve been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son.”
So, he goes down into the cellar with one of the copies to check it against the original. Hours later, nobody has seen him. One of the monks goes downstairs to look for him. He hears sobbing coming from the back of the cellar and finds the old monk leaning over one of the original books crying. He asks what’s wrong.“You idiots” he says, with anger and sadness in his eyes, “The word is celebrate, not celibate!”
It’s been said the most wasted day is one in which we have not laughed. How much do you laugh in a given day?
Did you know having a good laugh actually strengthens relationship bonds and makes for a stronger heart? Laughter, like water, flushes toxins out of our body. When we laugh, we have the ability to diffuse pain by physically increasing the body’s production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Recent studies have, in fact, found the risk of heart attack and stroke is reduced in individuals who laugh on a regular basis, compared to those who never or rarely laugh. A study found that just 15 minutes of watching a funny movie increased average blood flow by 22% while watching a serious drama decreased blood flow by 35%. The combination of 15 minutes of laughter and 30 minutes of exercise three times a week is good for the vascular system.[i]
We all need to laugh more; have a good belly laugh—even at ourselves. Can you laugh at yourself when you’ve messed up?
A jolly heart is important for coping and survival. It breaks the ice, lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of developing heart disease, and improves mood. Someone who laughs, particularly at herself, is a healthy and humble person.
Jesus understood this. He frequently used humor and wit to make His point. Our response may be, “Really? Where?” When we translate any language into another, we will often miss subtle nuances of speech. If we don’t have a knowledge of the original language and its idioms, we can miss the humor. Also, different cultures have different ways of being humorous.
Jesus used one form of humor we call sarcasm. In His responses to Herod, for example, He called him a fox. He made other statements that had a touch of humor to them, like when He mentioned a camel going through the eye of a needle. I can’t imagine Jesus didn’t laugh. After all, He was fully human. Since God has appointed times for laughter, and Jesus always did what was appropriate, it would seem to me that when it was time to laugh, He laughed.
God promises, “He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy” (Job 8:21). Is it time for you to laugh?
[i] http://www.healthylivingnyc.com/article/128; accessed January 29, 2008
