"Difficile est saturam non scibere" - translated: it's difficult not to write satire.
Here at CCC, we don't take things too seriously. We like to joke and kid and make funny videos and have a really good time. You need proof? Check out this photolog of yesterday's video shoot involving goats, tables, and eating. Wow. I wasn't even there for that one.
Many churches don't seem to get it when it comes to comedy. I think part of that is because they are afraid to offend someone. Why is that? Because, as I've ranted many times before, comedy is always at the expense of someone. And anytime you are making fun of someone, well, that's definitely less than Christian-ish. But sometimes churches try to get around that one by offering "self-depreciating" comedy, where the only person being made fun of is the person on staff or the person speaking. This can work for a season, but will tire over time. And, because of that choice, it might not be built on truth, and doesn't hold up against examination, which brings me to my next thought...
I recently came across this quote from Aristotle, who is a really old greek dude who knew a whole lot about a whole lot of stuff. Here's what he said about humor: "Humor is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humor; for a subject which will not bear raillery is suspicious, and a jest which will not bear serious examination is false wit."
See, this Jesus thing is serious stuff. We've even been admonished on this blog to stop trying to be funny with our videos and all that and speak the scripture and be persecuted for being a Christian as though the two are mutually exclusive. I usually ignore those kind of comments (the suns will win the next three games against the spurs), but now I know why I ignore them. What we are doing is as serious as a heart attack: Helping People Find Their Way Back to God. Why do that with funny? Because funny reaches people and is a very effective way to crack open the defenses that the unchurched have developed over time due to the "persecuted" ones and their lame attempts at evangelizing.
But more importantly, good humor is connected to truth. A subject which will not bear the attacks of the comedic is suspicious, and the comedic must be born out of truth or it will be vapid. How do you know that something is truthful? Make fun of it! If it holds up, then it's truthful! And Jesus holds up, remember he said "I am the way, the funny, and the life." He can take a joke, I'm pretty sure.
Right now I'm watching my brother Elic construct a prop for a video sketch called "iBible." He's taking the craftmanship of that prop very seriously. But the good natured ribbing he's receiving for having "desecrated" the prop Bible (cutting out a hole for an iPod to fit), that, he's not taking too seriously. So you don't need to either. Trust me.
Or maybe I'm just kidding.