April 6, 2025 5th Sunday of Lent
Readings: Philippians 3:4-14, John 12:1-8 Psalm 126
Fill Me with Laughter
One of the derogatory things I have heard over the years about Fire/EMS personnel from the public is this; those people are uncaring or cold. That is followed by the comment of “how can they joke around or even laugh at times like this? That’s so rude” I will be the first to admit that there is a time and place for these emotional releases. There must be caution exercised when dealing with the stress of the job with joivious outbursts. We have all heard of our military veterans who must deal with PTSD. It is a very real thing, and we all need to help our veterans readjusting to civilian life. We must also be aware that almost anything can trigger a response, even years after discharge. Most people do not realize that PTSD is just as prevalent in First Responders. Out of all suicides in First responders, Law Enforcement tops the list at 58%, Fire Fighters at 21% and EMS at 18%, 911 operators are not immune either according to a study released in 2023 over the period of 2015-2017. I can tell you that post-COVID the rates have got higher. In 2022 we see anywhere from 150-300 Police officers commit suicide every year. Last year in 2024 143 first responders took their lives. That is a decrease from 2022-23 projections. Studies have shown that the number one reason for First Responders to consider this permanent solution to a temporary problem is Hopelessness. If they inform someone of their troubles, they fear they will be labeled unfit for duty. So, they say nothing. They turn to no one. This very thing is one of the reasons why I decided on a full-time ministry. If I’ve helped just one first responder from making that permanent solution choice, it’s worth it. I have made a difference in several since moving down here. They can mask their symptoms because they know all the red flags that will alert other health professionals, it’s in their training to watch the people we treat! Most first responders will not admit to their colleges that they believe in God or go to church. They must rely on their proven ability and skills to deal with what life throws at them. The lay public is not much different.
You’re probably asking yourself, what does this have to do with the sermon title “fill me with laughter”? Nothing said so far can make me laugh, in fact, quite the opposite. Where does this even fit with the passages that we heard? Furthermore, what does that have to do with Christians in our relationship with God? Those are very good questions, because it has everything to do with our relationship with God.
We’ve been told that laughter is the best medicine. However, too many times, we use laughter and humor wrongly at someone else’s expense. Someone must be the butt of our jokes or stories of humor. Laughter can bring us together as a group in a single event, raise our spirits out of the pits of despair, or forget our sorrows even if it is for just a moment. When gathered at a funeral, we think about the good times we had with our loved one. We even bring up stories of times that made us laugh when they were with us. In a moment of grief, we try to laugh. When we remember the good times, we bring that person back to life in our hearts. We are reminded at funerals that there is Hope and the guarantee of life after death. When we are down in the dumps or ill, someone comes along to cheer us up. In the perspective of what I stated earlier, how dare we laugh in a time of tragedy? Appropriate laughter has healing properties.
The Psalmist is coming out of a time of tragedy. They do not go into details of what happened, but there was a rescue before, and a rescue has come again! Just like some of us today, there were those back then struggling to find joy. The struggle can blind us to joy, but if we gather as a group, laughter can bind us back together. “Those who go out weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy”. Those of us who can see and feel the joy, must be cognizant and respectful of those who are not there just yet. Who can tell me the action I put in the devotional calendar for today. Write a note of thank you to someone. Maybe someone not finding joy could use a thank you note to give them hope as they start toward a blissful joy. Wait! Talking about joy on the 5th Sunday of Lent, when we are to be more somber and more serious as we progress closer to Good Friday. Well, yes! But we cannot be at all work and no play. There needs to be some breaks along the way. Stories like this uphold our faith and fill us again with Hope and laughter.
In the Gospel of John today, Mary has anointed Jesus with the perfume, her hair and her tears. In my studies of the Scriptures and in the series “The Chosen” on the interactions of the sisters with Jesus, I think Mary had a better understanding of what Jesus was, what He was here to do, and I think she was the first to truly understand what was about to happen. We read that Judas did not, even after Jesus right out told them about His death and burial. Mary was preparing Jesus for His burial. We know that Jesus was troubled about what was to come, and Mary attempted to bring him some Joy. The Disciples were not cognizant, understanding nor were they respectful of it. Some of the others belittled her. The Chosen is not the Gospel, but it is Gospel based. This interaction was brought to life in the series.
Paul reminds us that it is extremely important to remain faithful. He had put his faith in what he knew, who he was and what he could do. He realized that all of what he thought was important, accounted for nothing. The only thing that accounted for anything, or should I say everything, was Jesus the Christ. Faith in Christ leads us to the righteousness of God. Continuing to have faith in Christ gives us Hope for the eternal life that is to come. We too can lose our faith, in doing so can lead us into hopelessness. Christians can fall into the pit of hopelessness by the deception of Satan’s lies that God has abandoned us, Christ did not care for all of us. That will only lead us to the pit of eternal despair. This past week the Bible Study focused on the Parable of the persistent widow. She kept going to the judge to receive justice from him. He finally gave in and gave her justice because of her persistence. We must be faithful in our prayers to God. The one thing that Jesus said at the end of that parable was this; “when the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on earth?” Without faith, there can be no hope, without hope, there can be no joy, without joy, there can be no laughter. May we keep our faith strong by persistent prayers to God, so that our hope remains in Jesus. May the joy of the Holy Spirit fill us with laughter so that we can meet the day and days to come with peace and love. Without any of those ingredients, we start down the path of hopelessness.
