Why don't candy canes taste as good on December 26 as they have for the last four weeks?
Overnight, radio stations have stopped playing Christmas music and resumed regular programming. Shiny packages wrapped with care are now shreds of white with ribbons trailing like puppy leashes. Holiday dinners are now leftovers.
Christmas trees are looking tired, and the glow of the rooftop lights is overshadowed by the prospect of bringing them down. And even as you read this, some are returning gifts they received only yesterday.
Christmas appears to be screeching to a halt if you merely take into account those cultural embellishments that we hang on the holy day like flashy ornaments. Their temporariness reflects the material life we live now, but the true gift of Christmas is eternal.
Recently, my pastor closed a service by sharing a Regina Spektor song sparking a whole lot of discussion due to the ambiguous last line: "We're all laughing with God."
I was certainly confused. It was all I could think about on the way home. Then my family discussed possible interpretations over lunch. We didn't agree.
Later that evening, a group of friends took up the discussion. We even piled into the hosts' home office to watch the video and analyze the lyrics. Then we read online comments to see what others thought. In spite of all of this research and theorizing, we never reached a consensus. Even the next day, co-workers gathered around my desk to discuss the enigmatic lyric.
Apparently, people feel that the song is meaningful and worthy of attention, but they also feel unsettled by it.
I think this is probably the way people felt about Jesus.
Please click on the button to read the rest of the column.
If you're interested in the lyrics or video:
No one laughs at God in a hospital No one laughs at God in a war No one’s laughing at God When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor
No one laughs at God When the doctor calls after some routine tests No one’s laughing at God When it’s gotten real late And their kid’s not back from the party yet
No one laughs at God When their airplane start to uncontrollably shake No one’s laughing at God When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else And they hope that they’re mistaken
No one laughs at God When the cops knock on their door And they say we got some bad news, sir No one’s laughing at God When there’s a famine or fire or flood
*Chorus* But God can be funny At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or Or when the crazies say He hates us And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke God can be funny, When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus God can be so hilarious Ha ha Ha ha
No one laughs at God in a hospital No one laughs at God in a war No one’s laughing at God When they’ve lost all they’ve got And they don’t know what for
No one laughs at God on the day they realize That the last sight they’ll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes No one’s laughing at God when they’re saying their goodbyes But God can be funny At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or Or when the crazies say He hates us And they get so red in the head you think they’re ‘bout to choke God can be funny, When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus God can be so hilarious
No one laughs at God in a hospital No one laughs at God in a war No one laughs at God in a hospital No one laughs at God in a war No one laughing at God in hospital No one’s laughing at God in a war No one’s laughing at God when they’re starving or freezing or so very poor
No one’s laughing at God No one’s laughing at God No one’s laughing at God We’re all laughing with God
No, I didn't write about giving up the Camaro or being afraid of bears on vacation. I did, however, write about the hotel fire alarm experience, which you see depicted here but must read every word to totally get the picture. [Clever enticement to read the column, eh?]
This is a re-vamp of the letter I wrote to Katie upon graduation; many of you have already seen it, but if you haven't, I invite you to by clicking on the button.
I have two graduation open houses to attend this weekend and several more to come. In Indiana, these open houses are a very big deal. I'm told that this is a regional thing unique to Hoosiers.
Indiana:
State bird: Cardinal (nice) State flower: Peony (very nice) High school graduation open houses (temporary shrines built to honor the graduates) Home of the "Monkey Nut"
