"Laughter arises when we take notice of absurdity. We are rational creatures, capable of knowing things about the world, other people, and ourselves. Our rationality also means that we develop expectations. We have ideas about reality that can be confounded or contradicted. For example, we have ideas about monkeys and their ways. When we see a viral video of a monkey getting a haircut, it contradicts our expectations. It's absurd - it's funny - and so we laugh!
"In Psalm 2 . . . , God laughs,
which means he takes notice of something absurd. The psalm tells us who
he is laughing at in its opening verse: 'Why do the nations conspire,
and the peoples plot in vain?' (Ps 2:1). This is bad news: we are the peoples, and we plot in vain. God is laughing at us. In his Providence, this can teach us something about our identity and what we are made for. God does not laugh to no end."
In a recent commentary, Brother Barnabas Maria Wilson, O.P., reflected on this image of God and our need for reprioritization.
To access Br. Barnabas' complete post, please visit:
Dominicana: The Lord is Laughing (30 JAN 23)
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