Freedom and Hope in Humor

Web Posted: September 14, 2004

Freedom is synonymous with ‘not being couched up or imprisoned’ in any way. It implies an ability to exercise our right to ‘expand’ and to ‘contract’ (movements of the heart), to breathe in and out, and to ‘weep’ in our longing for God, and to ‘laugh’ and be light hearted about our life in the world. We all seem ‘imprisoned’ at times, imprisoned in our own schedules that we ourselves determine. There may be many ways to resolve this self-imprisonment. Perhaps, taking time out for prayer, for tea, and yes, a healthy doze of decent humor may also help.

Indeed, humor and spirituality can go together. In Islam, there comes to us a tradition of expressing wisdom through humor. Sufis for centuries tried to learn through jokes that they deem as "teaching-stories". Often life poses interesting questions, some of which cannot be answered in simplistic terms. There, one may rely upon metaphors, signs, interpretations, and humorous anecdotes. Speaking of anecdotes, here is one to remember:

A Sufi told a story of a man who went to his neighbor's house and began searching for something on the floor. The neighbor asked, "what are you looking for?"

" My key," the man replied. So they both searched together but found no key.

The neighbor became curious and asked, "do you remember where you lost it?"

"Out on the street, of course," the man remarked.

Troubled by this answer, the neighbor asked, "why then are you searching for it here?"

The man very calmly replied: "There is more light here."

Like any story, a humorous anecdote has multiple dimensions, some will see wisdom in it (a sign of freedom?); others will simply come away a bit relaxed (a sign of hope?); either way there is something to gain. For yet others perhaps wisdom goes down easier when cloaked in a little humor. Here is another interesting exchange:

A man rented a house with an old wooden ceiling from a professor of theology. The ceiling was making a lot of cracking sounds so the tenant complained and asked the professor to get it repaired.

The professor replied, "don't worry, the sounds are simply its calling and glorifying the name of God."

" But my worry is that Divine Majesty may overtake it one day and it will bow down (collapse)," the man replied.

Perhaps the ability to laugh, and to laugh at oneself, is a good way to experience the freedom of the spirit. Individuals who experience such freedoms are often full of hope for themselves and for others.

Irfan A. Omar
Assistant Professor (Theology)