At the beginning of my spiritual journey I used to assess what it took to be a saint. “Sainthood” is a title bestowed indicating that this person had “made it”, successfully in God’s eyes. (Isn’t that why we were given this life?)
My spiritual views have grown and developed along my road. I used to look at pictures and read the lives of the saints. In the accounts that I read the saints seemed to reinforce what I was learning in my Catholic schools: life is serious business and don’t screw up!
We learned about mortification. (Death to the flesh). Denial, fasting, and abstinence were encouraged as bringing us closer to God. Remember the sermon about the rich man not entering heaven, only through an eye of a needle. (Still a little difficult to understand).
All these tenets were very scary for a child to understand but did so shape my young life. I was a pretty serious kid wanting to please my earthly father and my Heavenly Father.
Now that I’m older (and hopefully wiser) I’m reassessing some of my earlier beliefs. Previously there didn’t seem any room for much fun and laughter. Religion did not reach its long arms around any kind of frivolity.
I recently enjoyed a visit from my two younger sisters enforcing my newer attitude of the power of laughter, silliness, and fun. The three of us laughed at the “stupid” things we do. We howled at some of our “missteps”. And giggled, as girls are ought to do.
After the “sisters” visit, my theory on lighter is even more convincing. I’m sure that we need more laughter! Laughter works as a powerful antidote for fear, separation, conflict and hurt. Things that divide us no longer have power when we laugh. Barriers fall and walls come tumbling down giving us fresh perspective on our situations.
Laughter is God’s welcoming Spirit at work in a troubled world. The Spirit reminds us that we are part of a whole, living in togetherness rather than isolation. Laughter can promote love, not fear, and hope rather than despair.
Knowing the powerful punch that laughter carries, we should not dismiss the opportunity for a good laugh.
So seize any opportunity to incorporate laughter into your spiritual practice. I’m sure those saints, laughed at sillies, but the authors seemed to skip the “good parts”!
