|
Minister’s Musings
Good Medicine
“A joyful heart is good medicine”
Proverbs 17:22
Last week I did a lot of laughing. Saturday, I hiked a challenging mountain with a group of friends, and we laughed at ourselves and one another most of the way up and back down again. Sunday night was the Stewardship Bingo and Chili Cook Off at Grace, and there was more laughter there. We heckled one another, chortled at the uncontrollable tears and snot inspired by overly hot chili, and giggled at each other’s ridiculous moves when oldies music inspired an impromptu dance party. By the time Monday rolled around, I was feeling more energetic, lighter, and content than I had in ages. It occurred to me that laughter really is good medicine.
I am a happy person by nature. I’m relatively optimistic and upbeat, much more likely to randomly start singing than complain. It’s just how I’m wired. Even so, I noticed a tremendous impact on my overall feeling of wellbeing simply because my stomach muscles were tender from laughing.
Scientifically, studies have proven that laughter lowers stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. It triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural mood enhancing chemicals, and can even temporarily alleviate pain. Laughter increases the heart rate and oxygen intake which leads to muscle relaxation and improved blood vessel function. Laughter can even boost the activity of infection-fighting antibodies in our blood. Laughter enhances our mood, improves cognitive performance, and promotes social bonding. Laughter is good medicine and we know it. But it isn’t always easy to laugh.
We live in challenging times, and the news cycle is continually bombarding us with existential threats. Many of us have more reasons to cry than laugh each day as our bodies struggle to perform, our bank accounts dwindle, and our mental health suffers the isolation and disconnection of modern life. Laughter, therefore, is a radical act. When laughing does not come easily, it is an act of faith. It is a choice to remain open to delight, to receive goodness even when sorrows linger. And, in the moments when pain looms larger than joy, when laughter is difficult to permit, laughter itself becomes its own remedy. When we let the first hint of a smile break across our faces, science will unfold manifest goodness, by the grace of God, as joy begets more joy.
So, gather with friends. Be ridiculous or at least allow the ridiculousness of others make you grin. Embrace whimsy. Bend down to let the dog lick your face or the sticky toddler slime you. Let your heart be tickled and fill the air with the sound of its resounding. In a world of furrowed brows, your joy is contagious!
-Rev. Becki
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10
| 
