Outer Darkness?

[aron]

Originally Posted by Drake

I'm bringing this forward because I believe this should be front and center in every Christian's understanding and to guide and remind each of us of this most solemn event that awaits our future.

I need this reminder and so do we all.

Yet humour has its uses, as well. It's especially useful to skewer the pretensions of those who think they've laid hold in this age, while they're yet in the flesh of sin, and try to convince others of this. One person's delusion then becomes mass delusion. We don't skewer the person but the spirit of pretension behind them.

Of course disrespect is disrespect, and should be avoided. But humour is good, too. I like, for instance, Paul writing, "Since you bear so well with those who beat you about the head and face, you ought also bear with me for a bit." Sarcasm. Very effective as an attention-getter.

Jesus saying, "Behold! An Israelite without guile!" A zinger, not only a double but a triple entendre, probably. A very funny inside joke if you can catch it. But truly affectionate as well, I bet. Same with calling Cephas as 'Peter'. Another inside joke. Then, the more obvious "Sons of Thunder". This was a man who loved to stare straight-faced while you gasped in horror and stammered a reply. "You give them something to eat", is one of my favorites. Luke 9:13. Look at the disciples' response. But of course he was holy. "You are the Holy One of God!" Mark 1:24, passim. Yet, he hung out with sinners, and drank wine, and he laughed.

We'd have done better had we laughed at Lee's pretensions of grandeur. But we were naively drawn into his "most solemn" nonsense. His solemnity was a farce. I don't feel remiss to point it out. And there were some who were clearly drawn to his airs as a vehicle for their own. That one who constantly looked out for "ambition" in his flock, himself held such a reservoir as to presume be God's sole mouthpiece on earth today. And the sycophants crowded round, genuflecting and amenning. I don't know if it's funny or sad. But I guess I just like to laugh.