Free speech isn't dead yet, and when it comes to the proclamation of the gospel, it never will be.
Comedy might just save us. Not in a theological sense, of course, but comedy might just save us from ourselves. It is no secret that free speech is under attack. Words are powerful, and the curbing of words is in the best interest of those who want to grab onto and maintain power. This is nothing new. What is new(ish) is the idea that words are not used to pursue truth but only to exercise power. Some declare that speech is only an assertion of power and even go so far as to say that speech is an act of violence (and silence, too). If it is the case that words are no longer used to speak truth but only to assert power, then words should be policed just like physical assault. I'm afraid I have to disagree that this power dynamic (oppressor vs victim) should replace truth and falsity and right and wrong. I agree that words can be used in the exercise of raw power, but it does not follow that words are only used in the exercise of power and no longer an avenue to truth. How we got here is a long and winding road through Western Philosophy, but that is for another article. What I want to tell you is that free speech isn't dead yet, and when it comes to the proclamation of the gospel, it never will be.
Comedians are on the frontlines of this debate over speech. They always have been, but usually in the interest of expanding the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable in a given society. It seems that comedians, perhaps because they worry that their livelihoods are under attack, are fighting against this notion that power dynamics are more important than the pursuit of truth and should even replace the idea of truth itself. Comedians are fighting for their right to offend, and they are currently the ones making the most cohesive case for free speech. Comedy may just save us from ourselves.
Christians are free from self-justification. Simply put, we don't need to take ourselves so seriously.
Christians have a unique relationship with comedy. We can think of the warning against coarse joking (Eph 5:4), and we certainly should consider bullying and mockery not only as heinous but as a pathetic attempt at self-justification via the tearing down of others. And yet comedy rests on freedom – not just freedom of speech but freedom from the law. Christians are free from self-justification. Simply put, we don't need to take ourselves so seriously. We know we are flawed and need not bristle at a ribbing about our faults because we know that our status among our peers does not define us. Such popularity is a manmade law that will not give us the rightness (righteousness) and value we crave. We are defined by Christ's blood, nothing else. When eternal bliss is secure, we aren't so tense about the here and now. Why not laugh along the way?
Here are a few reasons why comedy is healthy for the Christian:
- Christians are people of words and people of the Word. We delight in words. Comedians play with words, respecting the power of those words. The clever use of words for the sake of laughter is a delightful gift from God.
- Comedy forces us not to take ourselves too seriously. Humility is a virtue.
- Free speech is good. We are not afraid of human words (Col 2:8). We need not stifle the free speech of our enemies. We have the truth mediated through words. We have the home-field advantage.
- Comedy forces us to think critically. Our politics, culture, and limited perspective can dangerously erode our ability to see the other person and sympathize with his or her opinion in clarity and charity. Comedians often practice arguments to the absurd. They point out the absurdity of our human thought. This is good.
- Comedy is contiguous and inviting. That's a good thing, right?
- Comedy levels the playing field. Nobody is immune from comedic attacks. We are all in the same boat.
- Comedy speaks truth to power. The prophets of the Old Testament did this and even used humor as a tool.
- Comedy destroys idols.
This last benefit of comedy is the most important. Idols are those things that we hold onto tightly. We (sometimes unwittingly) look to these things for our identity, meaning, and purpose. We trust them, look to them for value, and defend them against all criticism, even if those criticisms are valid and reasonable. In short, they act as our gods. However, they are different from the true God because they cannot do what the true God can do. They cannot cleanse us, save us, or protect us. They cannot give us true identity and everlasting security. We all have idols in our hearts. They might be your job, your kid's sports, your nation-state, your political party, or even a politician. They become the most important things in your life. Your #1. Your gods. Your idols.
We all have idols in our hearts. They might be your job, your kid's sports, your nation-state, your political party, or even a politician.
Comedians are great at destroying idols. From the outside looking in, they can viciously point out the absurdity of your worship. This may hurt, but it is good. It is good to have our idols shattered. I know that there may be times when the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob finds himself in the crosshairs of the comedian. But so what? God doesn't need us to defend him. Usually, it is not our God being attacked but us and our own absurdity masked in fake piety. For that, I thank God even if it hurts.
We are free to laugh. It is a joyous thing. But it is also healthy to laugh at ourselves and our own absurdities. So, I salute comedians. They are good for us, even if sometimes their intentions are vicious toward the gospel message. In such instances, it wouldn't be the first time God used his enemies for his divine purpose.
