Article June 28, 2010 Issue

Thou shalt laugh!

When wisely used, humor awakens us to the dynamic well-being that exists where fear and pain seem so real.

BY KEITH WOMMACK

JOY is an essential ingredient required in prayer-based healing. It's the resilient quality of divine Soul, God. It allows us to smile when things get difficult, and this is possible because, although it seems otherwise, we are spiritual. Christian Science teaches that our spiritual, Soul-created selfhood is intact and cannot be harmed in any way.

It may be pretty easy to grasp how joy relates to healing, but ... humor? And laughter? Christ Jesus' words encourage us, "Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh" (Luke 6:21). 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.

Now, of course it's cruel to laugh at another's misfortune. It's also unloving to make light of suffering and unwise to ignore it. It's important to recognize the difference between allowing the humor of Soul to inspire us and trivializing another's misfortune. Every trouble should be quickly and persistently dealt with until gone.

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