God's Sense of Humor

Over the years, I have come to the point of acknowledging God's sense of humor; however, it was long and hard in coming. As I recall my days as a child attending church with my family and how it was the norm to wipe the smile and joy you just shared with others outside the church door from your face once you entered the sanctuary. Laughter in the presence of God was disturbing because God was serious and he needed us to be serious in order for us to know that he loved us. I imagine the feeling was that for us to be grateful for God's love we needed to distort our faces (like the Pharisees when they fasted). Being somewhat of a jokester, it was interesting for me to read that Hyers And God Created Laughter and recognize that the fact that "laughter is fundamentally an act of celebrating existence. Laughter is an expression both of enjoyment and thanksgiving" (p14). Since I have decided to celebrate God's creative process in my life and since I want to continue saying "yes to life", I am grateful for this text that reminds me that to be comedic in the presence of God is to "see myself from the outside" without all the stresses and tensions that my life includes. For me to enjoy the "good life" that God promised, it is important for me to remember not to kill and bury the child I once was but to use the innocence of children to garner the courage to ask those "whys" of God that I would not ask when my adult mind is engaged. This text reminded me to use my childlike mind in ways that helps bring playfulness and laughter into my relationships and encounters with the people I encounter so that the image and face of God is never far away from me or them.

How to read ethically

To read ethically, one must decide not to allow presuppositions, culture, experience and other characteristics and stereotypes to dictate what is taken away from what is being studied or read. Additionally, in order for the reader to reader ethically, it would be important to recognize that the characters being read about are (were) real and so not gloss over the material as though their contributors to the story did not have real lives. Based on the material read in Reading as if, eithical reading suggests caution against being overly critical about what one reads because such an approach can lead to maligning and denegrading a culture and its people. In my opinion, reading ethically is a way to allow for fresh perspectives to be brought on a piece of material. Many clergypersons believe that the interpretation of a particular scripture in the nineteen century continues to be applicable in the twenty-first century. Here is where I believe that reading the text ethically allows for interpretation that will bring the hearer/reader to a place where the text speaks to their current situation. For example, in the story of the woman at the well, the explanation has always been that the woman "slept around"; however, reading this story ethically may allow for an interpretation that suggests that all "her husbands" had walked away from her and that because she was poor she kept getting into these relationships as a way to survive.

God's Joy Brings Us laughter

I believe the author tells us that the humor of God is found in all those things he has done for us to bring us joy, and from joy comes laughter. This joy is a result of hope and knowing God will deliver for us, and because God will seemingly do the impossible for us. Abraham and Sarah felt the joy of God delivery, Hannah also felt the joy when the seemingly impossible occurred for them through the intervention of God. Christians are called to be fools for Christ like the court jester who brings joy into people lives, Christians through the Message of Christ bring joy to those who hear the message. Like the comedian who appears to be foolish, but exposes the self righteous, the pretentious and pompous. I know someone who called God a Jokester, who keeps pulling the rug out from under them, because of things that kept occurring in their life. As I look back at the issue, as this person got close to something they wanted, the rug was pulled from under them. This is similar to the statement made by the author"the self righteous are turned away from the gate"(p3) . This is like the person who does not get the punch line of the joke, like the person who does not receive the message of God; the rug will be pulled out from under them. If you receive the message there will be joy in your life and laughter comes with joy.

WHAT IS ETHICS OF READING

Ethics of reading is basically an understanding that we must be aware and obligated to know how our thinking is shaped by what we read, how our actions maybe influenced by what we read, and the possible consquences to others in terms of how our thinking may attempt to influence others. It is inferred that ethical reading is strengthened by an informed understanding of the world we live, and being part of the real world where situations exists and changes constantly. We have an obligation to be aware of what is at stake, e.g the Bible can be used as a tool, when it is the source of comfort to someone grieving, or it can be used as a weapon to subjugate other people. We must read the Bible according to the author, as if lives depend on it, and this points to the fact that there is an obligation that exists to be mindful of how what we read, may adversely influence us and subsequently impact others. Ethical reading involves not only exposing what maybe said, but what is unsaid; understanding the period of time, the culture, the society that exists that influences how things are written. It involves understanding who was being addressed, who the target reader is and what inspired the story, such as the Jewish anxiety because of their homelessness and exile. It involves being aware of our own limitations ,our own background, our own expectations, to insure we read as if other lives are at stake.

Blog Response 1 for 9/8 class: "Reading as If..."

Based on your reading of the article "Reading As If," describe briefly what it means to "read ethically."

Blog Response 2 for 9/8 class: The Humor of God

How did Conrad Hyers' chapter on "The Humor of God," prompt you to begin thinking about the presence of comedy in the Bible?

Welcome to the Class Blog

Welcome to the our class blog!

We will use the blog to interact with each other as we explore the text, language, culture, history, ethics, and social visions of the Hebrew Bible.

You will be able to post comments to readings, chat with fellow classmates, review results of class polls, explore news links to current events, and even look at some humorous videos!

Take a few minutes to explore the blog!  I will be updating it each week, so log-on daily for updates!

I am looking forward to interacting with you this semester as we explore the Hebrew Bible together.

Any questions, send me an email at CharlesRix@gmail.com

Shalom!

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