Does God Have a Sense of Humor?

The newspaper cartoon read, "And there was silence in Heaven when God sneezed." After my initial chuckle, instead of dismissing the thought of it as absurd, I pondered: Does God have a sense of humor? And if He does, What makes Him laugh? As the Creator of the Universe and “giver of all good gifts” (Jas 1:17), all of creation is worthy of our praise because it reflects God's infinite goodness and profound beauty. I feel laughter is a reflection of God's joy and an integral part of His “personality.” We read in Genesis that when God created all things, He saw that it was "very good," (Gn 1:31). Therefore, if a sense of humor is good to have, and since God is All-Good, then He must have the BEST sense of humor---I'm not kidding.

Laughter, like music, has a universal appeal, and, as with music, humor is a matter of personal preference. Just mentioning the name “Charlie Chaplin” is enough to put a smile on the face of almost anyone over 60. However, I hear most women don't find the Three Stooges amusing. The comedic genius of the Marx Brothers and “I Love Lucy” are all-time classics. The irreverent humor of George Carlin and Richard Pryor was descriptive of the rebellious 60s and 70s, and it had an either “love it or hate it” dimension to it. The manic humor of Robin Williams and the mass-appeal of “Seinfield” defined comedy during the 80s and 90s. Most recently, Saturday Night Live gave us Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon just to name a few. God has given us great comics not only to make us laugh out loud, but also to give us a foretaste of Heaven, “Where God will wipe away every tear,” (Rev 7:17).

A lesser-known comic and champion of the poor, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, coined the phrase: "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” Besides Mother Teresa, some other great saints in Church history have used humor to help them fight the good fight in this “valley of tears.” Saint Teresa of Avila, a Doctor of the Church, constantly prayed, “From sour-face saints, deliver us O Lord.” The same St. Teresa was thrown off a carriage one time, landed face-first in a mud puddle and cried to Heaven: “Lord, if this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few.”

Comedians make us laugh because they are keenly aware of how to find humor in everyday life and point it out to us. The saints inspire us to holiness because they made the choice to faithfully seek and serve God every day of their lives. Saint Ignatius of Loyola's motto was “To seek God in all things and above all things.” I propose we could look for God and His humor in all things. A good sense of humor is a matter of awareness, and it can truly help us ease the yoke of the mundane and keep life's burdens light.

They say hindsight is always 20/20. And, in my opinion, if I knew then, what I know now, it's never funny then, but now. God's sense of humor is just His way of showing us that He is always present in our lives, whether we see it then or now. On December 27, 1995, I had a conversion experience in St. Augustine, Florida. Inebriated and about to get in serious trouble, I made a promise to the Blessed Virgin to change my ways in exchange for her immediate rescue. Mama Mary came through, and I came back to the Church. Years later, I learned that St. Augustine is the patron saint of brewers and enjoyed a good party or two before becoming a bishop and Doctor of the Church. December 27, is also the feast of St. John the Evangelist, and the City of St. Augustine is located in St. John County.

All kidding aside, it makes sense to think God does have a sense of humor, and we can all make Him laugh. All we have to do is talk to Him regularly like our best friend. After all, the joke is not on us, but the Almighty already knows the punchline. The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said the only thing Jesus reserved for Heaven while on earth was His laughter. Because as Sheen said, “The one thing that will make Heaven, Heaven, is to see God's smile.”