This series of articles is about Spirituality and Humor. How seldom do we think about the two belonging together? Spirituality and Humor belong together! What are the implications for You, our Human Family, and for the Church?

Do you prefer spirituality or humor? It is not necessary to choose one over the other. They do not always come together, but they always go together. When spirituality comes to the good-humored person it is like a bonus on top of humor. You will not have one for long without having the other. If either lags behind, you will want to know why?

Spirituality equals life. Humor equals a slice of life. Each works best when operating at the same time within the same life.

Here, we begin to talk about “spiritslaughing” as a way of thinking about the union of spirituality and humor. Our spirits have been given the capacity to laugh, and they can operate at full capacity only when enriched by the presence of humor. Keep reading this statement until you get it!

Our humor cannot be experienced, nor expressed, without the involvement of our spirit—because humor is profoundly, spirit-ual.

If we insist on having one without the other, we end up with neither. A spiritually-dead person—who is therefore, without a sense of humor—does not need to check their bags. They are going nowhere, and no one wants to go with them.

Good humor is more than humor that is funny—although I am not against funny humor. Humor ought to be fun to share, which makes it fun to hear. Good also means humor that is helpful, uplifting, and therapeutic to the human spirit. Good humor has purity in its telling.

We shall not be sorry if we assume for about a lifetime that our spirits are made to laugh!

In order to receive this phenomenal spiritual gift, we need to check to see if house cleaning on our humor files is in order. We need to delete inappropriate humor (if any) that comes to mind. The process is to weed out inappropriate humor so we may substitute appropriate humor. How can we receive a spiritual gift when we are cluttered with profane, racist, sick, vulgar, or dark humor?

Consider making a list of your dark humor (if any) and week-by-week, eliminate at least one entry of dark humor you are ready to give up.

Here is the kind of humor that is inappropriate: Humor that is sick, hurtful, sexist, profane, racist, sharp, vulgar, cutting, crude, vindictive, insensitive, ridiculing, demeaning, and tawdry does the teller and the hearer a disservice.

You are invited to think back, to remember, inappropriate humor. Give yourself time to think back about where you were, and who you were with when inappropriate humor was used. It will be unusual if you cannot come up with several instances of dark humor, because it is all around us.

Take a GOOD Look

Select an inappropriate joke that you will replace with an appropriate joke. Delete the inappropriate humor from your memory files by praying the following part of “The Prayer to the Holy Spirit” each time you wish to complete the exchange of good humor for bad humor:

 Come, Holy Spirit,

purify the thoughts of my mind

 and the words of my mouth.

One Laugh Fits All!

Everyone needs, wants, and can benefit from a laugh! Remember that of all things you can give someone, a laugh is one of the few things they never use up. A laugh always comes like it is new, and has life of its own. Once the laugh has occurred, it can languish for years, and then come again with its original freshness. In a year’s time, you can count on one hand when a laugh is not appropriate. It would take the stars to number the times a laugh is welcome.

You are not expected to make humor your full-time vocation, but there are good reasons for making it your full-time avocation.

Think of yourself as entering “The University of Life” where you become a student of fun and funny things. Look for funny things, memorize them, remember them, and tell them. You have the ability to do well in the school of humor. Always be on the lookout for a good laugh–because you deserve it!

Be aggressive and intentional with your humor. It is important to you, and to others who have to be around you! Work at it and have some fun! A strong beginning will provide you with personal satisfaction and eagerness to continue. Remember, humor is not something you do for others–you do it for yourself–and others will hope to benefit from it.

Being a humorous person is always at a point of beginning. Else, we would become professional comedians. Our assumption is that we are all beginners–and we have the fun of learning about humor, by doing it!