I visited with an old friend the other day and came away feeling lighter, because we laughed so much.
People often picture us Quakers as grim people, wearing drab clothing with stern faces. But the contrary is true; our clothing tends to be simple but colorful, and we frequently erupt in laughter. Even our business meetings are frequently interrupted with witticisms.
I'm writing this at the beginning of Kamala Harris' campaign for president of the United States. I don't know about her other qualifications, but she laughs a lot. I'm impressed with how much she smiles as she speaks. It appears to be a genuine smile, as if she is really enjoying herself. Come election day, she may have nothing to smile about, but seeing a candidate for high office smile so much sets a mood of good expectations.
Why does laughter matter? Because it takes the sting out of trouble and punctures the balloons of our problems, collapsing them to less threatening dimensions. It's also an effective defense against aggression. It is said that the best response to a bully is to laugh at them. The vain emperor in the old folktale was laughed off his throne when a child pointed out that he had no clothes on.
Laughter even has benefits physically; it lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, boosts the immune system, and increases lung capacity, among other things. Free medicine!
When violent, extremist groups stage parades, I would like to see spectators posted along the way with laughter recorded on their phones and play it loudly as the marchers go by. It's hard to be proud as you're being laughed at.
One Jewish citizen during WWII wrote, "This is our only weapon in the ghetto--our people laugh at death and at the Nazi decrees. Humor is the only thing the Nazis cannot understand." Of course, for them--or for civilians in Gaza today--it would be much harder to find life funny than it is for us here in peaceful Arkansas, but the ability to laugh in adversity is a sign of inner strength and resilience.
A sense of humor is a shield against despair and defeat.
As I age and have to accept losses, I laugh at myself and my stumbling disabilities. There is actually something funny about the adaptations I invent to deal with my body's weaknesses. Sometimes my brain's little glitches, combined with a loss of hearing, have hilarious results; nothing disastrous so far, fortunately. It keeps me from taking myself too seriously.
The world's horrors can overwhelm us if we submit, but we can always choose to see humor. As Wendell Berry says, "Expect the end of the world. Laugh. Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful though you have considered all the facts..."
Consider all the facts and laugh, regardless of the odds. Life is full of funny incongruences; we only have to look for them. The more we laugh, the lighter the world becomes.