UPFRONT June 28, 2010 Issue

THE LIGHT OF LAUGHTER

INGRID PESCHKE, MANAGING EDITOR

Have you ever felt stuck in the middle of a problem, where everything seems so dark and all-consuming that joy is pushed out and life feels bleak? Whether you're dealing with physical or emotional pain, or simply just hard times, the ability to experience the lighter side of life may seem like a distant memory.

Yet, humor can be a saving grace. It signals a frame of mind that includes hope, freedom, humility, even gratitude. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of this magazine, saw the value of humor—so much so that when she started her monthly magazine The Christian Science Journal, she included a column on humor among the earliest issues.

Our cover stories this week point to the humor that shines a healing light into the dark spaces of our lives, causing thought to spontaneously rise above hardship. Keith Woommack writes in our cover story: "Humor can actually erase pain caused by the belief that we were ever matter-based or something less than pure Soul expressed. When wisely used, humor awakens us to the dynamic well-being which exists where fear and pain seem so real" (see p. 14). Mike Davis, Mary Baker Eddy Library Researcher, shares more about Mrs. Eddy's thoughts on humor in his article, "Mary Baker Eddy on the value of humor" (p. 17). And don't miss our teen article by Claire Horton, who experienced a special healing on the basketball court, along with a moment of joy that broke through the pain she was feeling.

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