Been thinking a lot about laughter - lately.
The older I get I notice that people laugh at things for lots of different reasons - which are not necessarily that obvious at first -particularly when they erupt in laughter at the 'powers that be' - where pomp and con and pretense suddenly seem absurd - and the o so serious and offended ones who fear them - is it relief of tension, or the shock of realisation that they have no clothes on - where those defending our social or religious class systems suddenly look naked and afraid.
I laughed at my wee brother's funeral. For those who didn't know me or my family - it might have seemed callous - but there wiz something about the 'pomp' and 'seriousness' and theatre of it all - that triggered my funny bone and to be honest it gave us a welcome sense of relief: jamesy had been suffering for 12 years with full blown aids - helpless tragic awful hearbreakin aye - but now he was finally free of it all and I guess we kind felt a stab o that freedom too - sounds awfy! but suddenly we were allowed to see the funny side of it all.
fascists and those who love power and fear that which they cannot control- hate comedy, hate laughter - I've been told by those 'real' exorcists and those who work with those affected by severe abuse and torture - that which religious traditions call the 'shadow' of humanity - in the realm of evil - do not understand 3 languages
1. love (language of exchange that puts people god and creation at the centre)
2. science (search for truth or what is real)
3. humour (the language of anti-empire and I would argue - god)
To attack and change dehumanising systems or practices - we need all 3.
I sometimes have wished I could have been among the crowd at the temple in jerusalem AD 33 (ish) as jesus used language number 3 and shouted at the pharisees - calling them a bunch of snakes in front of the heaving sweaty spiritual scruff which they had spent generations trying to con and control and manage - in the name of god.
and listen to the relief of centuries of pain in guffaws of hilarity and laughter as this god bent and browned by the earth and the city - but not beaten! walks among them..
aye!
