Did Jesus Laugh? NPR Wants to Know

James Martin, S.J.August 22, 2009

That's what Scott Simon on NPR's "Weekend Edition" asked me the other day. Here's my answer from today's show along with some reflections on an occasion when humor went too far. The America piece on humor that Mr. Simon mentions at the beginning is The Most Infallible Sign. The piece on The New Yorker, from "In All Things" is here. And yes, someone really did ask me that question across the street from Carnegie Hall!

James Martin, SJ

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14 years 8 months ago

There is a song I was taught at an American Baptist camp called "For the Joy". One of the verses goes: "Jesus didn't laugh every day, Jesus spent a lot of his time crying, For the bible says he was a man of sorrow. Get ready for sorrow, if you're going to follow." I would say that's a sign that, at least for some bible-based churches, we're not supposed to be overly perky. But this is also the church that frowns on dancing & alcohol...

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