the tension of laughter and grief

Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and the end of joy may be grief.

Proverbs 14:13

It is good to value laughter and fun. Joy in life is a gift from God and worthy of celebration. One of my high values is humor and having a fun time. But there is more to life. Humor isn’t good as an escape in itself and is lousy at coping with some of the evil, broken realities we face in the world.

No comedian is going to lighten the heavy grief of a school shooting. No joke will get our minds off the devastating reality of war. No zinger has a punch line to take away the pangs of poverty. No chuckle can bear the burden away of guilt or shame over sin. There are many experiences in a broken world that lead to heartache and legitimate grief. Wise people know this and balance joy and sorrow. And Jesus gives us, through His saving work, the means to do so.

Jesus is the Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief. He knows pain. He knows heartache. He grieves. He carried our sorrows and our sins to His cross. In His passion for us we can see that He knows suffering, pain, and death on an unimaginable scale.

Jesus is the joy of every longing we have ever had or ever will have. He is the Deliverer. He is the delight to all who love Him. He, the joy of the Lord, is our strength. He nicknamed His friends, shared meals with all who would break bread with Him, welcomed children with blessing, reached outcasts others ignored, made the lame dance, the blind see, the deaf hear, and the mute shout for joy. The Man of Sorrows is also the Joy of our hearts!

Jesus,

Help me to hold in tension with my eyes on You both the joy of living in You AND the pain of living in a world You are still redeeming. While I hurt in the brokenness I will not just lament, but also trust in Your grace and know joy greater than mere laughter.

Amen