Holy Week and Humor

by Jim Watkins
Published March 15, 2005

Greek theater divided plays into two categories: tragedies and comedies.

Tragic tales had dire endings--such as the bountiful body counts at the end of many of Shakespeare's play. In comedies, however, the hero and heroine always lived "happily ever-after" or at least had a pulse at the curtain call.

Using that definition, the Easter story is a wonderful comedy.

Jesus had been annoying the religious leaders all week. He was preaching that love was more important than their man-made laws. He was healing the sick and raising the dead, which obviously drew bigger crowds than gory temple sacrifices. He even bounced a few temple workers out on their self-righteous rears. And worst of all, he had called the priestly poobahs "sons of vipers" and "white-washed tombs."

Now Jesus was flogged, beaten, nailed to a cross, speared, declared dead, bound in burial cloths, sealed in a tomb and guarded by Roman soldiers. "We'll never hear from that trouble-maker again!" the priests laughed.

But God always has the last laugh!

Sunday morning Jesus Christ is alive and well. Christianity flourishes. The temple is destroyed. The Roman Empire falls. Dante describes it as "The Divine Comedy."

"Life is Beautiful," this year's "Best Foreign Film," graphically illustrates how even the Holocaust can be turned into comedy. Director and "Best Actor" Roberto Benigni tells the story of Guido who is sent to a concentration camp with his young son. The comical character remains irrepressibly joyful throughout his horrible ordeal. Even, as his last act before being executed, Guido is bringing laughter to his son.

Not surprisingly, movie critics are horrified at the idea of a comedy set in a concentration camp. And one should never trivialize the Holocaust with "Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Gas Chamber." But the film tastefully illustrates the meaning of Godly "comedy."

God is able to take tragedy and turn it, in the Greek sense of the word, into a "comedy." Life becomes a continuous "good news-bad news" joke for people of faith.

For example. The bad news: my wife nearly died giving birth to our daughter, and we had few maternity benefits with our insurance. The good news: Lois' stay in Intensive Care made the whole experience "major medical" and every bill was paid. The bad news: the U. S. Postal service lost my airline tickets. The good news: the replacement tickets were $150 cheaper! The bad news: it took three surgeries in two hospitals to remove my stubborn kidney stone. The good news: I'm still hearing from readers who were inspired by my kidney stone column.

God's providence provides the powerful punch-line! Morning follows night. Spring follows winter. Laughter follows grief. Beauty follows horror. Resurrection follows crucifixion. And "comedy" follows "tragedy."

Have a joyful--and jovial--Easter.

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