Creamer column - We need to laugh

Last week I was under the weather. I came home early from work a couple of days to rest and take care of myself.

Normally when I am not feeling well, I sleep for several days. This time it was just the opposite. While I didn't have much energy, I wasn't sleepy at all. It is odd to be awake and not want to do anything at all. That's another thing about me, I am constantly doing something.

So here I am at home, awake, yet not wanting to do a thing. I tried to watch TV, but have you ever turned on the TV in the middle of the day? There wasn't anything worth watching. Finally, I decided to watch some movies. I have several action-packed thriller movies that I want to watch, movies most guys enjoy. I flipped through them but just didn't have the energy to watch one.

Then I saw several silly movies sitting there that were of no real substance except to make me laugh. I watched them and just sat back and laughed at how crazy, and, dare I say, dumb they were. They were definitely not spiritually inspiring, but at the same time, they were not crude or inappropriate. They were just fun and humorous.

We need to be able to laugh. I think it's great when the late night comedians have fun picking on the politicians. I laugh just as hard when they pick on my candidate as when they are picking on the other guy. I especially enjoy laughing at the Saturday Night Live skits about the political candidates and their Weekend Update segment is always worth staying up for a good laugh.

I remember many years ago calling a pastor of mine one evening. While we were talking, I could hear the TV in the background. I asked him what he was watching. He told me the name of this really silly movie. After I got over my initial shock, I realized we all need a good laugh from time to time, especially pastors.

Laughter is a gift from God. I believe laughter is medicine for the soul. When I think about how grateful I am for over-the-counter medicines during cold and flu season, I realize how important a good dose of laughter is for our soul. It lifts the heavy-hearted and, for at least a brief moment, relieves the mind from stress and worry.

There was a movie made back in 1994 titled, "The Gospel According to Matthew" in which the actor, Bruce Marchiano, portrayed Jesus with laughter. He showed Jesus as being full of the joy of the Lord. There were certainly serious moments, especially during the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, but most of Marchiano's performance showed Jesus laughing, smiling and interacting joyously with people. While controversial, I wonder whether his portrayal may have given us some important insight into God's character.

I know God is serious about such issues as sin, repentance, forgiveness and obedience in our lives, but I wonder whether God's character isn't a little more balanced with humor than most of us believe. To be honest, I am not sure I would want to serve a god who didn't laugh or wouldn't want the same for me. I believe Solomon had it right when he said in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is a time for everything, including laughter.

We live in stressful, pressure-packed times and it would do us all some good to escape the pressures of life for some side-splitting laughter. Many people are burdened by worry and guilt; imagine how an evening of laughter could help to change the perspective of walking through such difficult times.

I believe actors and comedians who can illicit a good, hearty belly laugh, not at the expense of others, deserve honor and respect for lifting the burdens we all tend to carry.

If you haven't had a good laugh lately and you feel overdue, then I want to encourage you to get a good, clean, hilarious movie and sit back and enjoy it. Allow the laughter to lift the burden of your soul and give you a fresh perspective on life. There are doctors who believe laughter releases chemicals in the body that can bring healing for some medical conditions. Seriously, trade some of your sorrow, sickness and pain for a dose of the joy of the Lord through laughter.

Doug Creamer teaches marketing at East Davidson High School. He writes a weekly column. His Web site is www.dougcreamer .com