{"id":1178,"date":"2013-10-14T05:30:47","date_gmt":"2013-10-14T11:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/?p=1178"},"modified":"2013-10-14T05:30:47","modified_gmt":"2013-10-14T11:30:47","slug":"thats-funny-revisiting-things-laugh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/thats-funny-revisiting-things-laugh\/","title":{"rendered":"“That’s not funny” — Revisiting the things we laugh at"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Much to my mother\u2019s chagrin, who hoped for something much better out of her eldest son, I was voted the class clown by \u00a0peers in high school. And I\u2019ve never quit.<\/p>\n

When I\u2019m in a tough spot, a light joke helps lighten the mood. When things are tense at work, they look to me to find the levity. When the family is in uproar, a simple quip can douse the flames.<\/p>\n

If you\u00a0know me only by the words on this page, you might think I\u2019m a somber man, writing thes\"bellye weighty tomes. Looking back at the hundreds of posts in this blog, I sometimes gasp at the tone. That\u2019s one serious dude!<\/p>\n

But spend a half an hour with me and you\u2019ll see that\u00a0I\u2019m a joker, maybe even a jester at time.<\/p>\n

Laughter is a universal language. Go to a foreign country, where words cannot be understood, but a smile and a belly-chortle can break down any barrier. Laughter is rare when you are alone. It\u2019s a community activity that builds relationships.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s Not Funny<\/strong><\/p>\n

But what I laugh at is a reflection of the soul and my character.<\/em>When I laugh at a quip or a witty retort, it\u2019s good for the soul. But when I laugh at someone\u2019s else expense or their shortcomings, at a sexual innundo or a crude observation, it digs away at my heart.<\/p>\n

The snide, rude and the obscene have no place in my life. And when I do laugh at those things, I never really feel good about it.<\/p>\n

Is it me? Modern comedians really aren\u2019t that funny, relying on the shock value, the crudeness, or the insensitive for a cheap laugh.\u00a0I cannot love the dark side of a world where I don\u2019t belong.<\/p>\n

Because Satan has misused what God intended for good, we tend to overreact with legalism.\u00a0\u201cBe sober and grave<\/em>\u201d we preach with all Scriptual authority.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not what God intended. After all, \u201cA merry heart is good Medicine\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

He gave us the ability to let it loose. He gave us mirth and joy and fun.<\/p>\n

Somehow I think that Heaven will a place of great laughter.<\/p>\n

What do you laugh at? What do you see others laughing at?\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

But what I laugh at is a reflection of the sou and what I laugh at is a reflection of my character.When I laugh at a quip or a witty retort, it’s good for the soul. But when I laugh at someone’s else expense or their shortcomings, at a sexual innundo or a crude observation, it digs away at my heart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2375,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n"That's not funny" -- Revisiting the things we laugh at<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is it me? 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