Humour and laughter appear throughout Scripture. At times this laughter isn’t one of amusement but of scorn, an expression of God’s perfect peace and assurance as he reigns from his throne in heaven.
In Genesis 21:6, Sarah proclaims, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”
In Proverbs 17:22, says, A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
A master storyteller would never neglect humour as a way to reach an audience, and Jesus, who spent much of his ministry breaking down barriers – understood how laughter can draw people together.
God created humour, so it makes sense that Jesus used it to communicate with humanity. I’m not suggesting that Jesus would have made a successful stand-up comedian, but rather that we might sometimes approach the Lord’s message with a lighter heart.
Without humour, life would be far more burdensome; laughter helps us carry what is heavy.
Each week I try to capture witty and humorous observations about everyday Catholic Christian life.
I don’t believe we should be afraid to laugh in the presence of the divine. But my cartoons aren’t meant merely to ‘get laughs’; I like to think of them as humour that enlightens, encourages faith and perhaps even opens minds to conversion.
For me, creating weekly cartoons for The Catholic Weekly has deepened my relationship with God and strengthened my faith and continually draws me closer to God. Laughter is uplifting and so is faith.
I was always taught not to laugh at the expense of others, it’s not appropriate. Yet that’s often part of the nature of cartooning.
Even so, I try to use my best judgment to discern the difference between a good, light-hearted cartoon joke and one that could be genuinely a hurtful one.
My mother was an excellent judge of the appropriateness of humour in my cartoons. If I wasn’t sure whether something crossed the line, she would say, ‘When in doubt, leave it out.’ Be funny for the right reasons and you’ll stand out, and remember the pen is not mightier than the pulpit.
Even drawing a cartoon depicting hell and the devil, obviously my intension is clearly satirical but l don’t set out to promote the devil’s agenda and l see my drawing as an innocent act of creativity, similar to creating any fictional character, and l don’t view it as inherently sinful.
On most days I often say a little prayer as I walk toward my desk: “Please, God, help me find something funny today.”
It has occurred to me that I’m essentially asking God to help me make fun of himself. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more conservative with my humour.
I have certain off-limit areas, but I trust that God guides me to make the right choices and create the right jokes. It’s possible to safely cross the line, but that requires a higher level of skill and awareness.
I understand that some readers may be easily offended, and I never want to produce a cartoon that feels like it requires the bomb squad standing by.
When I’m not at my drawing desk scribbling, I’m working as an on-call firefighter. Even at the fire station, I don’t hold back from sharing my faith and how God is at work in my life – though I usually do it in a light-hearted, humorous way.
For me, it’s a natural way to be funny at my own expense while still showing that I live a life that points to Jesus. My church is just across the road from the fire station, and I’m always inviting the crew to Mass, often joking that I don’t want my funeral to be the only time they go to Mass.
I feel we often shy away from imagining our Lord, joking, smiling and inviting us into laughter.
Yet laughter is good for the soul, and I’m certain God has a sense of humour. I like to think my Catholic Weekly cartoons give him a good chuckle. Otherwise, I may have some explaining to do in purgatory where God might very well have the last laugh.