Religion: A Pastor Ponders

A laughing matter

By Pastor William Jenkins

April 11, 2007

April Fools Day was a week too early. It should have been on Easter Sunday, April 8. On that day we celebrated the biggest April Fools joke in the universe. After Jesus had been crucified and buried the world and the Devil thought they were through with Him, But, in a surprising turn of events, He came back…arose from the dead…made a laughing stock of the grave.

Psalm 2:4 reminds us that God has a sense of humor, “The One enthroned in heaven laughs…” I am thinking the Easter surprise was a side-splitter. What do you do with someone who will not stay dead?

Easter is cause for exuberant joy! It is a time to laugh and celebrate life all year long. Many years ago I stumbled onto the happy side of Christianity when I saw a movie called “The Gospel Road.” In it Jesus was portrayed as a smiling, happy, loving-children-and-life kind of person. It opened my eyes to the reality of joy in believing.

Many years after that I discovered a painting called “Risen Christ By The Sea” that reinforces the idea of a happy, risen Christ…and why not? Anyone who can defeat death has plenty of reason to be joyful. Along with all other benefits of the resurrection, Easter puts laughter into the Christian faith.

After all is said and done, and I do mean “all”, it is God who gets the last laugh.

League City United Methodist Church is located at 1411 Main Street (FM 518), one block east of Interstate 45. For information, call the church offices at 281-332-1557 or visit the website at

HYPERLINK - http://www.lcumc.org