January 24, 2011 on 11:00 am
Dear Spiritual Explorer: Why does everybody look so somber when being spiritual? Where’s the humor? Maxwell Parsons, Topeka, KS
Laugh Your Way to Grace
Dear Maxwell: I was thinking the same thing the other day and used to have that thought when I first began living at an ashram. Things seemed to be so serious. Ma Jaya, my teacher, always says that true spiritual teachers always have a “twinkle in their eyes.” She herself is a true example of humor and her many darshans and videos are filled with her humor. It makes sense that a true holy person would have a great sense of humor since they could not really help people if they allowed themselves to get totally bogged down in the tragedies and sad events that unfold before them very day. In Laugh Your Way to Grace by Rev. Susan Sparks, she says that we too must reclaim the spiritual power of humor. As humor is encouraged, more people will be drawn towards spirituality by choice. The truth is most of us are looking to lighten our experiences in life; life already gives us serious matters to ponder every day. A little light attempt at humor is therefore welcomed.
The Rev. Sparks says that humor is the WD40 and duct tape of life. Humor jars us loose, breaks us open and makes us see things in a fresh new way, including our old concepts of God and spirituality. We have made our objects of worship to be truly formidable, sometimes viewing them as harsh, punishing figures of strict conformity that desire to punish for our mistakes or misadventures. According to Rev. Sparks, this is a terrible limiting view of God. She speaks how humor and laughter have everything to do with God, and that when we break open our hearts in laughter and humor, we can fully experience the grace of life as God intended.
A truly warm hearted, inspirational book to be recommended. Thanks for writing, Spiritual Explorer
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