Jocoserious

Jocoserious: 15 September 2025

In the past few weeks I’ve been reminded of the power and the importance of laughter. National and world events continue to ratchet up angst and fear. Political violence that once seemed unthinkable has become appallingly commonplace. Social norms seem to fray before our eyes and a coarse brutishness steals in unremarked.

Into this turmoil it sometimes can feel tone-deaf to laugh, as though I’m not paying attention to the true awfulness happening. But anxiety is debilitating, and laughter can be one shocking way to break into the morass of fear and despair. Laugher is powerful and satire has always been understood to be a weapon. Laughter can unmask tyrants because those proclaiming to be the strongest are often bullies protecting their sense of unworthiness.

I am one hundred percent opposed to mean spirited mockery or putting people down. I abhor the current right-wing sport of ‘owning the libs’ as much as I detest the left wing’s snarky elitism.  These are empty calories that taste good for a moment but leave you even hangrier. True humor is much harder. Anyone can sling criticisms or spew profanity.

As Steven Pinker once wrote about film and theater critic John Simon, “Simon has simply discovered the trick used with great effectiveness by certain comedians, talk show hosts and punk rock musicians: people of modest talent can attract attention, at least for a while, by being unrelentingly offensive.”

But laughter that lifts us up is truly healing. I love people who can be funny without being cruel or denigrating. It’s harder to use your wit to build someone up, but a well-timed observation delivered with an eye twinkle to disarm the sting goes much further than a criticism or put down.

I love the laughter that brings joy and surprise. I love cleverness and plays-on words and building on jokes from an earlier part of a conversation. I love conversations with people who remember an anecdote from early in the conversation and bring it out to emphasize a later point. I love people who can deliver a one liner from one context into a new context to emphasize the similarity (or difference) between the cases.

We shared a wonderful Labor Day weekend with college buddies of mine (who happened to marry each other) and their daughters. On the way home Jack, Emma and I discussed our favorite parts, and I said the laughter. Not only the fact that there was so much laughter, but I loved the quality of depth to the mirth. Long-time knowledge with new-made memories.

And I love the laughter of discovery. When something all of a sudden makes sense or you wake up with an answer to a problem or when someone says something that causes some other thought to click into place to solve a previous problem. This is the laughter of creativity.

Computer scientist Alan Key said, “Most creativity is a transition from one context into another where things are more surprising. There's an element of surprise, and especially in science, there is often laughter that goes along with the 'Aha'. Art also has this element. Our job is to remind us that there are more contexts than the one that we're in -- the one that we think is reality.”

Laugher helps us recognize the legitimacy of more than one context, more than one reality.

This weekend was our annual church retreat, but I was only able to make it to the Saturday session.

The retreat theme was “Holy Mischief: Reclaiming Play as Sacred Practice”, and we discussed ways to use play to break through to new insights, theological and otherwise.

I walked in a little late and joined a small group table. They all clapped their hands over their nametags (what the heck? I’ve known each of them for a decade!) and insisted I go back to the registration table for mine. Then, they demanded I pick a word starting with J, but not Jazzy. Two people had already claimed Jazzy.

I chose Joyful-- Joyful Julia, even though I wasn’t feeling Joyful. I was kinda feeling like I should’ve slept late and skipped the retreat. But the only other J adjective that came to mind was Juicy, which was obviously a total nonstarter. But I played along. And when we went around the table introducing ourselves with the new names, I laughed. We all laughed.

What are other J adjectives? I wondered. So during a break I googled it. My favorite is a word new to me. And apparently new to my spellcheck. Jocoserious. One definition was: mingling mirth and seriousness. I love this word! I am definitely Jocoserious Julia. And this feels like a word for our times; the humor we need in times such as this.

The national thermostat is turned up way too high. Everything feels heightened and dangerous and where is God in all this? It feels like we need everyone to be their best self right now but also like no one is being their best self. Including me. I need your encouragement and I’m encouraging you right here to step it up, take a deep breath, and find some laughter.

Not a cynical, eye-rolling chuff. Not a dismissive, defeatist exhale laugh. A belly laugh. Go watch some cat videos or something that brings a spark of joy and then let’s talk about how we use our gifts, our weapons, in the right way to create the future that values everyone. Don’t deny your power just because other people abuse power. Use your power to empower others. Light up someone’s day with some laughter.