Jokes and Justice (Part 2)

 Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well as justice come in with speech.

(The Magician's Nephew)

In our last post we questioned why Aslan seemed to approve the laughter of the Talking Beasts at the Jackdaw. Though all the Talking Beasts assure Aslan that they would not return to the ways of the Dumb Beasts, it was only the Jackdaw who loudly proclaimed, "No fear!" much to the mirth of the others. The Jackdaw was embarrassed (though he later happily realizes that he will forever be remembered as the First Joke), so why is the laughter sanctioned? 

"The devil...the prowde spirite...cannot endure to be mocked."  (Thomas More). Lewis quotes this insightful line as a type of prelude to The Screwtape Letters thus casting this work as a fulfillment of More's words. For it is in Hell that there is strict concern for one's dignity and austerity (Screwtape Letters, Chapter 11), and it is Hell's inhabitants that cannot laugh at themselves (Screwtape Letters Chapter 22).

However, one should not think that it is the experiences of Hell that turns its inhabitants this way. No, those who dwell as one of the damned do so because their dignity and pride brought them there. Their worship was of themselves, and their rituals were for self-glorification. Who should be worshipped? To whom should glory appropriate? The One God! The Creator of All and the True Judge! But for those who replace God with themselves, the ultimate blasphemy is being mocked. 

Belief in God requires humility. Recognizing the presence of the All-Powerful, who has provided you with everything and upon whom you are completely reliant for success. How can one take themselves seriously in the face of God? Is not our whole existence a joke? Is our creation not absurd? 

The Jackdaw will be remembered as the First Joke, but he was not. The first joke was that God saw fit to create creatures of flesh and blood that He was to call His children. How can we not laugh in the face of such absurdity? 

The command to love our neighbors as ourselves requires that we care for the physical and emotional well-being of friends, neighbors, and even strangers. Yet, even this must be balanced by the truth, that humans are awkward creatures who (hopefully) try to do the right thing but often fail spectacularly and hilariously. God knows how much or how little we really try. But if we do try and still fail a little laughter (and even mocking) is perhaps just what we need to help us realize that taking God seriously is more important than taking ourselves seriously. 

Hence the need to laugh at the Jackdaw. He tried to do the right thing, tried to be in sync with the other creatures in a unifying response to Aslan. But he failed, hysterically. Well, if everyone took the Jackdaw's indiscretion seriously, there would be furtive glances between them, malicious whispers, the a real danger that the Jackdaw would feel ashamed, that he would feel apart from the others, different, separated from Alsan. Perhaps there is no reason to feel that way, but isn't that how we feel when we do something off, something singularly foolish? 

But there's a cure, laughter. The laughter shows that everyone understands it was just a mistake, something that we all do at one time or another and you should just shrug it off. 

And so Aslan not only urged the Talking Beasts to laugh, but took the joke a step further modelling for his creations how one should truly feel about their self-worth. 

Jokes and Justice (Part 1)

Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well as justice come in with speech.
(The Magician's Nephew)

Too often the homo religiosus is assumed to live a life of seriousness and gravity. After all, what could be funny when standing before God knowing that any wrongdoing may condemn a person to eternal punishment? Lewis dismisses this perspective immediately upon the creation of Narnia. 

It is the dumb and witless who must always be grave, for they lack the capabilities of making (or understanding) jokes. Dignity and austerity must never be compromised in Hell (Screwtape Letters Chapter 11), but on the path to heaven laughter and jokes help pave the way.

The Talmud itself hammers home with point by recording the following story. Rabbi Beroka of Bei Hoza'i frequented the market of Bei Lefet. Many time he was joined by Elijah the Prophet. One day as they're walking through the market, R' Beroka asks Elijah if there is anyone in the market worthy of eternal life in the World-to-Come? Elijah looks around at all the people and points out an individual with whom R' Beroka is not familiar and does not dress in the garbs of a Jew, let alone a religious leader. Later, however, R' Beroka learns of all the heroic acts this man performs on behalf of the Jewish people. In the meantime, two brothers walk into the marketplace and Elijah points them out as well. R' Beroka goes over to them and they says they are jesters who cheer up people who are depressed. 

Of course, as Lewis explains in The Screwtape Letters, there are different types of jokes and laughter may be provoked from both positive and negative catalysts. In the beginning of Narnia the joke is the Jackdaw. In assuring Aslan that they will not return to the ways of the Dumb Beasts, the Talking Beasts assure, "No, Aslan, we won't, we won't." The Jackdaw alone continues (in a loud voice), "No fear!" 

Surely, all of us have been in similar situations and of course the Jackdaw is rather embarrassed and hides his head in shame as the other Talking Beasts attempt to stifle their laughter. Aslan, however, encourages them to let loose and thorough the mirth that follows, the Jackdaw happily realizes that he will forever be remembered as the First Joke. 

Now one might counter that this is somewhat cruel. It's one thing to laugh at a made-up story or a clever turn of phrase. It is quite another to laugh at someone else's embarrassment. Why did Aslan give his stamp of approval for this laughter and this type of joke?

I think the answer gets to the heart of why a religious person must laugh, while the minions of Hell cannot laugh. We'll get to it in our next post.