I wonder if God laughs about things we say

[Lauren_Elisse]

I seriously wonder if he laughs at the funny things we do or how silly we act sometimes.

[visitor]

Doubtful. The essence of humor is the unexpected... I don't think that God's imagination can be surprised. 

Secondly, one seems to recall something in Ecclesiastes about laughter itself being "madness."



That said, I don't think it wise to conceive of God's character as being severe---as if, because He has "no sense of humor" as it were, then he must necessarily be "mean." But a forgiving God is a God of grave concern, knowing full well that forgiveness is necessary but far from warranted.

And again, we are to learn our theology from icons; we do not see icons of Christ laughing.

In terms of our theological outlook (which shapes our communion and prayer), and as part of a more general dialogue stemming from the topic, I think the Fathers tell us that it is of no use to romanticize our image of God. And by romanticize, I mean that habit of willfully projecting passions onto God which rightly belong to ourselves as features of frailty and sin. This is the reason why Italian and Frankish church art is not considered to be theologically correct--too romantic.

And you know, the final point, and I think the only point really is this: God is Holy.

In other words, What was the question?

[scamandrius]

I have to believe that God has a sense of humor.  I don't think that anything surprises Him, but considering what He has created, I think sometimes He has to be amused by the work of His own hands.

Consider:

1)  Men reach their sexual peak at 18; women at 40.
2)  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
3)  the fact that we are concerned whether God has a sense of humor!

Just ponder those for awhile.

[Lauren_Elisse]

I find it would be hard to surprise him XD
but sometimes I think he laughs about things or gives me things to laugh about.

1. I have seriously been dumped in a No Dumping Zone.

[vamrat]

I have to believe that God has a sense of humor.  I don't think that anything surprises Him, but considering what He has created, I think sometimes He has to be amused by the work of His own hands.

Consider:

1)  Men reach their sexual peak at 18; women at 40.
2)  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
3)  the fact that we are concerned whether God has a sense of humor!

Just ponder those for awhile.

Don't forget the platypus.  Part bird, part beaver.

[deusveritasest]

I would think that laughter or humor in the way that we think of it would be impossible for an impassible being.

That being said, it might still be possibly for the Logos to have laughter and humor via His humanity.

[visitor]

I like the idea that the question itself is a humorous topic. It gives the discussion a kind of formal unity that keeps it from falling apart into digressions! Hurray!

So. We do have the observable fact that humor exists, and it seems to have salutary effects under the right circumstances--although there is also the possibility of perverse laughter, which must also have a meaning inasmuch as it certainly exists. There can be no doubt that humor has enormous destructive power.



But let me lighten up. I am going to do the Jacques Ellul thing and single out hope from its place among faith and charity. I will understand hope in somewhat the same way as Ellul as well... It seems to me that the inventories and examples that we give of humorous evidence (see above) provide us with a couple of distinct paradigms:

The first is the fact of harmless or otherwise charming asymmetry. It's not a great grotesque horror, but it serves the same purpose, albeit more gently. It prompts us to still hope for something radically Other beyond everyday phenomena, even beyond the essences revealed by everyday phenomena. These little lobsided realities that affront us, call us to pity, or come crashing down on us all tell us to pick up hope again. Do you know the story of St. Kevin and the Blackbird?

The second is the freakishness inherent in the phenomenon of mixed or dubious category, e.g. the platypus. These little monstrosities are just enough because they are but little. "If God can do such a thing as that," we say, "then I know that I might just have a prayer after all." And hope comes in again.

Let laughter come from God at the right times, I say. But still, to be Orthodox we must nurse an awareness of our modern tendency to romanticize innapropriately.

Fun topic. Thanks for posting it.

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