People often think of love as being such a serious topic. Love is patient, love is kind, love is hard, love is work. Love led Jesus to die on the cross. But that’s just one side of it. Love is also fun, and laughter is an expression of love.
Think about it. How many times do you laugh alone? How often do you laugh with other people? The times my sides have hurt the most and my cheeks ached because I couldn’t stop smiling were also the times I spent with the people I love the most. Laughter is infectious because when others are happy, it makes us happy. Even when you laugh alone, at a funny book or movie, you laugh because of something someone else did, something someone else made. Laughter is never a solitary act; it is about relationships, just like love.
Most games take at least two players. There must be contact, an exchange of information, interaction. We use games called ‘icebreakers’ to get people to know each other by having fun together. Relationships grow through games, through having fun. We have more fun with people than we can alone.
The funniest thing is that the fun is better for everyone when people give. The game starts to turn sour when one person hogs the ball, or gloats too much about their winning streak. Fun and games can test our bonds of love, teach us to win graciously and lose well.
Through play we see the simplest truths about the world, about people and about how to be happy. We learn when to let someone else take a turn, when to step in and take the lead, and how to work with others to get something accomplished. No wonder many high school athletes go on to be successful professionals, even if they don’t every play a sport again. Play teaches us how to live.
God mad us for great joy, but because it is our great strength, it can also be horribly misused.
Laughter can turn around and smack you in the face. It can do exactly the opposite of its intended task. Wrong laughter can be poison. We have all seen it, and felt it. When the group of girls laughs at someone who is poorly dressed, or the class giggles when the student the teacher called on answers wrong. Laughter is a powerful tool for unity, but that same power can be used destructively.
Scary that something so fun can be so bad. Being laughed at can be the worst emotional torment, just as laughter can be the best medicine. How you have fun is just as important as how you deal with the serious issues. Every aspect of your life is a chance to let God shine, especially in the laughter.
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