On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Psalm 100:1-2 (The Message)
Some of my readers may recall a comic strip titled Calvin & Hobbes. It was a brilliant comic featuring young Calvin and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes. Calvin is named after the famous theologian, John Calvin, and his tiger, Hobbes, is named after philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
Calvin is a precocious, adventurous, six-year-old boy who often poses difficult questions to his parents. Calvin sees the world from a very egocentric world view, as most six-year-olds might. Hobbes, his stuffed tiger (but only to others, to Calvin, Hobbes is a real friend), is an observer of life who helps Calvin understand a confusing world.
I often think of the truth that we find in humor, such as that of comic strips. I have mentioned in the past the great work I enjoy in The Far Side, B.C., Peanuts, and many other comics. Reading the comic page is a daily routine for me because I need to start the day with the refreshment of humor. Maybe it is to wash down the stuff I read on the front page.
I like Calvin because he reminds us that in all of us there is a bit of that egocentric 6-year-old- who at times thinks that the world did not really start to be modern until he made his appearance. His experience of new things seemed (to him) to be a new revelation for everyone for the first time. In his little mind, his experience was the one that really counted.
We as adults know that such childish thinking is just that- childish. Yet don’t we at times lapse into the egocentric worldview- that our experience is the one that counts?
Well, think about that one for a while!
Prayer: Lord, you have given us a sense of humor, and we are blessed to have it to get through this world, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 