Humor and Social Media

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. (Ephesians 5: 3 – 7)

We are today dealing with humor on the media. And I know some are already unsettled as I seem to pour water on your most fun moments.

Yet it is important to get our context right as I always say.

There is nothing wrong with humor. In other words humor is not sin. But humor can be a very powerful weapon in the hands of the enemy of our souls. And he has undoubtedly amplified the use of humor to pour scorn on the serious and godly things in life. Sin has been marketed more effectively through humor than through advertisements and porn. Through humor we are led to appreciate and acclimatize our hearts to the presence of sin so that we lose our sensitivity to the still small voice of the Spirit of God. And this because humor screams so loudly that no other voice can be possibly heard.

Yet I am not against humor. Jesus must have been fun to be with because humor was part of His teaching method.

For example look at Luke 17 (I contextualize). Imagine you have a house girl who was up before 4 in the morning and has been slaving the whole day. Will you on coming at 7 in the evening ask her to sit down as you wash her feet in appreciation for all that labor and go ahead to prepare supper for her? That must have brought disconcerted smiles on His hearers before the bombshell came. I am your Lord and you must unquestionably respond to My commands irrespective of the discomfort you might have gone through My earlier commands.

Most of His responses to critics were for the most part humorous that struck very hard on those opposed to His mission and message.

I am only opposed to our obsession with humor. Most people use the social media as a source of humor, and only that. The pages most liked are humor pieces, sadly the coarse type.

Let me explain. For the most part humor exists to laugh at embarrassment and shame. Ever realized that any funny story or occurrence has to do with a person on the wrong side of reason? Thus we laugh at the person who wore two different types of shoes as opposed to the one smartly dressed. We are wont to laugh at embarrassing moments than victorious ones.

And that is where the problem is. Wasting all our times on such ‘fun’ moments will slowly change our focus from things that matter. This is where the devil comes in.

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. (Ezekiel 16:49)

Simply saying life becomes too petty to find any seriousness in it. The second is that we become too preoccupied on the errors, mistakes and embarrassments of others instead of looking for ways of building them up. You see it is impossible to help people when we are laughing at their foibles. We also become too self conscious so that we do not become objects of others’ humor and will many times avoid involvement in others to avoid those unseen embarrassing moments. We may therefore overlook a real opportunity for doing good because we are afraid that we are being set up for others’ fun.

But worse is the fact that we end up becoming too petty, even irreverent. Jesting that we see in the verses above (called coarse jesting in other translations) is talking about a flippant humor that lacks value. And that is what we are being warned against.

But the worst part of it is that we open ourselves to the judgment of heaven through all that mindless exposure of our spirits to things of no spiritual importance. Our over reliance to humor to make our day will divert our focus from issues of greater spiritual import thereby rendering ourselves incapable of accessing real spiritual meat.

We have gone so far as equating preaching to a humorous performance. So much so that we think a preacher who does not pack enough humor to his sermon is deficient in his delivery and therefore run away from such dull preachers without caring to assess the spiritual relevance of the preaching. We forget that the prophets in any dispensation were for the most part scary specimens because their assignment was to point people from their self seeking lifestyles to a God-centred one. But the Bible also has something to say concerning that.

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2Timothy 4: 2 – 4)

And that is the reason my posts will never be popular as I am conscious enough about my commission to lower myself to entertainment and fun pretentions. I will always share God’s message the way He releases it to me without packing it with enough humor to have everybody sharing and liking them. I am content if only one person is reached with that message.

Though God does not prescribe a constantly long face, He is even more opposed to a flippant heart. Just look at humor seriously. Watch a comedy show soberly and tell me what you see. You will be shocked to realize that it is your faith and values that are being fun of and that you are uproariously laughing at.

What is humor to you? What do you like most about the social media? Does God have a say about those things that keep you on social media and other forums? Does God approve your budget expenditure on your fun moments? Do you really care what He approves?

Let us laugh if we must. But do not forget to have your eyes on eternity since that is the source of true reality. That is where all our actions, thoughts and attitudes are judged with utmost strictness. The earth is not all there is.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1John 2: 15 – 17)