{"id":1177,"date":"2011-11-30T22:52:36","date_gmt":"2011-12-01T05:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/takeandread\/?p=1177"},"modified":"2011-11-30T22:52:36","modified_gmt":"2011-12-01T05:52:36","slug":"a-barrel-of-laughs-a-pile-to-think-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/takeandread\/2011\/11\/a-barrel-of-laughs-a-pile-to-think-about\/","title":{"rendered":"A Barrel of Laughs & a Pile to Think about"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

By Sarah Reinhard<\/span><\/em><\/h1>\n
[This post is part of a conversation at the Patheos Book Club<\/a> on the new book <\/em>Between Heaven and Mirth<\/strong>, by Fr. James Martin.] <\/em><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ I love to laugh, and maybe that\u2019s part of the reason I was attracted to what I envisioned James Martin\u2019s new book, Between Heaven and Mirth<\/em>, would be.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t let me down. Each chapter contained at least one good laugh, and I caught myself actually giggling out loud a few times.<\/p>\n
Laughter is medicine, but it\u2019s also, Martin maintains, an often-overlooked element that\u2019s needed in our spiritual lives. He relates that he\u2019s come to see, in his life as a professionally religious (he\u2019s a priest and a Jesuit), that faith is often grim.<\/p>\n
The spiritual life does not have to be\u2013should not, in fact, be!\u2013without laughter and smiles. He points to Jesus himself and expounds on the fact that joy can\u2013and maybe should\u2013lead to lightness and levity.<\/p>\n
Martin makes his case using anecdotes, jokes, and even studies. He interviewed people of various stripes and shared personal experience. I started off agreeing with him, but by the end, he had dispelled any doubts I may have had. He inspired me to focus on my own approach to spirituality and to keep that twinkle that must have been in Jesus\u2019 eyes in front of my own.<\/p>\n
The finished product\u2013the book itself\u2013is the kind of book you\u2019ll want to buy two copies of: one to keep and reread, one to share with at least one person who could use a reason to smile.<\/p>\n
Join our Twitter conversation on this book at #patheosmirth.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"\"$ Sarah Reinhard continues to delight\u2014and be challenged by\u2014her vocations of Catholic wife and mother. She\u2019s online at\u00a0SnoringScholar.com.<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I love to laugh, and maybe that’s part of the reason I was attracted to what I envisioned James Martin’s new book, Between Heaven and Mirth, would be. It didn’t let me down. Each chapter contained at least one good laugh, and I caught myself actually giggling out loud a few times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nA Barrel of Laughs & a Pile to Think about<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I love to laugh, and maybe that's part of the reason I was attracted to what I envisioned James Martin's new book, Between Heaven and Mirth, would be. It didn't let me down. 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