Joe McKeever sometimes leads audiences he is speaking to in a simple exercise — he asks them to laugh for two minutes.
“It’s a world changer,” says Alabama native McKeever, pastor at First Baptist Church of Kenner, La.
McKeever knows of what he speaks.
Known best for his cartoons, which for years have appeared in Southern Baptist magazines and newspapers, he also is recognized for his often-humorous storytelling.
For McKeever, laughter is healthy and helpful — and the right of every Christian.
“Laughter is a vote of confidence in the Lord,” he explains. “It’s a way of saying we know He’s in charge. … Really, Christians are the only ones who have the right to laugh. They are the ones who have settled the major questions of their lives.”
As illustration, McKeever cites a practice in overseas churches.
On the day after Easter, people go to church to tell jokes — “because the joke’s on the devil,” he says.
Laughter and the Bible
Of course, there always are a few people who object to mixing humor with church or religion.
“But you can’t let that stop you,” McKeever says.
“People sometimes ask me if I think Jesus laughed or not, since the Bible doesn’t say He did.
“My response is, ‘I don’t know if Jesus laughed or not, but He sure fixed me up so I could.’”
McKeever likes to point to the Bible story of Sarah.
She named the child born to her late in life Isaac, which can be translated to mean “laughing boy.” McKeever says it was Sarah’s way of saying God had made laughter for her.
God also made laughter for the good of people, the Louisiana Baptist pastor believes.
Research indicates that laughter is good for individuals, providing them with a natural high and a measure of healing.
It provides relief from the stress of situations.
Of course, there are lines to draw, McKeever says.
They must be drawn the same way lines are drawn in any relationship — through a sensitivity to the situation and an openness to direction from the Holy Spirit.
McKeever says he considers some areas — such as sexual, scatological and sacrilegious humor — off limits.
He also advises against the use of partisan political humor in the church, saying it could turn into an obstacle to bringing someone to Christ.
McKeever also stresses a cardinal rule — no humor at someone else’s expense.
He recalls his discomfort at listening to old comedy tapes, which include personal humor that would be unacceptable today.
“Thankfully, some people have raised our consciousness in ways that it needs raising at that point,” he says.
The New Orleans-area pastor also cautions about mixing humor and God.
“The more sense you have of the reality of God, the more you want to honor Him — you know, ‘hallowed be Thy name,’” McKeever says.
“So, it’s always a danger to think God is just like us. We need to draw a line and be careful lest we dishonor Him in some way.”
McKeever says persons sometimes ask where he finds his stories and where they can find some as well.
His response is simple.
“You start by paying attention, because the truth is these things happen to you all the time,” he said.
“The really funny stories are ones that actually happened, and you’re able to reflect on them in a funny way. They may not even have been funny at the time, but later you can look back and see the humor.”
Making a point
As if on cue, McKeever launches into a humor-laced account of a longtime Christmas program at his home church.
At one point, a dispute broke out about whether the use of a Christmas tree and Santa in the annual program was proper.
Some said yes, and some said it was sinful.
Finally, a business meeting was called to discuss the matter. It was during the meeting that one woman stood and pronounced her support of the tree and Santa.
“Well, if it’s sinning, we’ve been sinning all these years, and I don’t see any reason to stop now,” she said.
“That really happened — and I just tell it with some humor and can use it to make several different points,” McKeever notes.
For McKeever, making people laugh is a worthy endeavor.
“I know if you stood up and said you thought your goal in life was to make people laugh, some would say, ‘What a little goal,’” he concludes.
“But if you elevate laughter to the level of being on top of life, of acknowledging that God is the victor and that Christ has conquered death, that puts a whole other perspective on it.” (ABP)
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