Do spirituality/theology and Humor go well together?

Tangled is good: Twister®! (photo: LisaDeLay ©2010)

Spirituality/theology AND humor ≠ peanut butter and jelly?

Peas and carrots?

or More like jelly and mayo?

Or hair and cheesesteak?

Are people who study God (theologians) humorous as much as they are serious?

In my case, yes.

But does that gel? I’m talking like jell-o giggler, gel? Really nicely, with fun and good flavor, and joint protection.

Okay, I’m not paid to teach theology, not yet anyway, so I’m not a pro. Several hundred hours of study should count for something though.

But, I’ve noticed something: If someone tends to take their studies seriously, and their profession seriously, sometimes they lose their sense of humor. It’s not that they can’t be witty on occasion. But I’ve noticed the “humor” can be more sarcastic than uproarious. Theology can be rather dry… but not as in dry humor.

It’s beginning to bother me some, because of the sense that one “has to” pick one way or the other.

• Either you get your respect and admiration seriously honing your forte and thoughts of God, or you pick some sort of madcap way and get sort of dismissed as a lightweight.

Well, rubbish to that.

It shouldn’t be so.

It is a genius blend to be genuinely comical and also thoroughly studied on the important matters of living in this world with a firm consideration of the Divine as the center of it.

It might look like I’m putting it in my mouth, but I have to put my foot in both camps.

So, I’m putting my readers on notice. (Don’t think: Wittenberg Door “notice”. Think: dry erase board.) As anyone knows, straddling can lead to a good hard thwack in the center. I realize this is RISKY. Those of you that know me personally realize this co-mingled vantage point is from where I operate. Some of you may just…not “get it”.

Stay with me here.

I’m not sure where we got the idea that spirituality must be flaky or humorless. Sobriety is one thing, but cheerless? Parish the thought.

If you are new here, welcome. I invite you to what is an engaging game of Twister®, if you will. Here I will not kowtow to stern conventions of how we must study and know God, and our selves, as spiritual creatures. And no, I’m not a witch. Don’t be so stocked, or “freaked” in any way. (Plus, I weigh more than a duck…)

Isn’t God young? It is us who have gotten old and crotchety. Severe or joyless. Being truly alive doesn’t look much like that.

What do you think…?

Have you lost your sense of humor?

Do you find it doesn’t mesh with diligently following God or knowing him well?

Are worship/awe and fun mutually exclusive within spirituality?

Any thing you’d like to say on the matter?

Let’s hear it –

:-P

Published by

Spark My Muse

Lisa Colón DeLay writes often on matters of the attending to the inner life, creating a beloved community, spiritual formation, and consciousness. She is also a designer, teacher, speaker, and host of the weekly broadcast Spark My Muse since 2015. Lisa is Latina (born in Puerto Rico) and holds an MA in Spiritual Formation and is the author of "The Wild Land Within" (Broadleaf Books) and other books.

8 thoughts on “Do spirituality/theology and Humor go well together?”

  2. It was the lack of a sense of humor that caused far too many church splits through the centuries. I think the word “dogmatic” comes from the caninian form of plutonium speech founded in a gloomy kennel and means “hold on like a pitbull and act like your eternity depends on the color of the carpet.” Later “dogmatic” was used as a suffix form for the word shred-o-matic, bore-o-matic and my favorite

  5. The Belief-o-matic was interesting…but not too humorous.
    With one exception: My 100% score for Orthodox Quaker!

    My Results:

    The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa.

    Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.

    My belief-o-matic results:
    1. Orthodox Quaker (100%)
    2. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (90%)
    3. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (86%)
    4. Seventh Day Adventist (77%)
    5. Eastern Orthodox (75%)
    6. Roman Catholic (75%)
    7. Liberal Quakers (69%)
    8. Orthodox Judaism (58%)
    9. Baha’i Faith (57%)
    10. Reform Judaism (57%)
    11. Islam (56%)
    12. Unitarian Universalism (56%)
    13. Sikhism (51%)
    14. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (43%)
    15. Hinduism (39%)
    16. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (37%)
    17. New Age (35%)
    18. Secular Humanism (34%)
    19. Neo-Pagan (33%)
    20. Mahayana Buddhism (33%)
    21. Jainism (32%)
    22. Theravada Buddhism (31%)
    23. Jehovah’s Witness (31%)
    24. New Thought (30%)
    25. Scientology (28%)
    26. Nontheist (27%)
    27. Taoism (24%)

  6. uhm….

    Serious is not a fruit of the spirit…. ;)

    One can study the Word for thousands of countless hours and it have no impact on their lives.

    God’s calling in our lives may be for a season, and to know that is to understand Grace sufficient….Often times, I believe, the joy in the calling is lost in many as they have stretched or drug (in their own strength) that calling beyond its season.

    For everything there is a season under heaven….for some, that season may be a lifetime, and for others it may only be a period of time. But to heed the calling in its season, again, is to understand that His Grace is sufficient….in all seasons.

  8. Oh…or, listen to a recent teach from Kris while he was visiting our church in Camp Hill.

    A Culture of Honor – Part 1
    A Culture of Honor – Part 2

Comments are closed.