Laughter . . . always a good thing?

I think most people are in favour of laughter. Most of the time we say laughing is a good thing. But, there are some times when it isn’t.

What kind of laughter isn’t good?

• derisive laughter
• sarcastic laughter
• laughter at other’s misfortune

I’m sure you can add a few more. Anyone who has been laughed at for failing when they were honestly trying knows how destructive and painful it can be.

So what do we do with the story in Genesis where Sarah laughs. Sarah laughs, not just at another person but at God. And then to make things worse, when confronted about it, Sarah lies and tells God she didn’t laugh. What do we do with this?

I think this is a story about God’s grace rather than any person’s laughter. Give the sermon a listen and let me know what you think. Did I get it? Was I off the mark?

“Is it safe to laugh around God?” Knox and St. Mark’s Presbyterian joint service (to download, right click and select “Save Link As . . .”)

Blessings,