Jokes on the Pulpit
James Yeku
Crosstruths
I attended a couple's dinner on this year's Val and it was a good occasion to listen to older married folks talk about their experiences in marriage. Celebrating love that evening was a time to reflect on Paul's description of love as patient and kind.
What was more of an issue for me however was the constant interpolation of the otherwise beautiful church gathering with videos of a certain "Aboki for Christ" who tickled the majority of the gathering with jokes about the Bible and sacred church practices. I refused to laugh, thinking about how the fall of truth from the street is also shaking the Church of our Christ. Shaking us and our kingdom values.
Also I didn't laugh because I had a self-righteous attitude devoid of mercy, or a judgmental disposition on a day to celebrate love. My refusal to laugh was due to how my heart was immediately drawn to God's word: we should not give ourselves to "uncleanness...nor foolish talking, nor jesting." Paul's letter to the Ephesians should mean something to us too.
Why is the church so insensitive to biblical distortions because of a carnal need to laugh? Is our excitement more vital than the call to holiness? It is sad to see folks who are not Christians hit the street to protest wrong representations of their faith and religious leaders, while we turn the grace of God to lasciviousness on the pews and pulpit, laughing at the sacred in the name of jokes. I write with pain as I think of these issues. Kindly pray with me that the Lord will call us back to the place of holiness. And true worship.
Thank you.
Bami Betiku
This is very true James... people of the other faith don't take us serious anymore because of our attitude to what we said we believe and talk about, of course except those who have been convicted by the Holy Spirit.
We have made cheap and callous of God's grace that saves with our unscrupulous attitude and we joke about it A LOT.
I agree with you, we really do need to repent. ..and we need to speak out on this, because if we don't speak out, we have indirectly joined them too...
May we repent and preach this change with our lips and deeds.
Thanks James for this piece. Anyway, I am not a Valentine person, so no show in that area whatsoever. ..
The One Jesus Loved,
Bami Betiku
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Bolaji Idowu
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Thank you for drawing our attention to this issue of unhealthy jokes. It is true that we have become caught up in laughing at things that make ridicule of what we should hold sacred. What is good is good. What is base is base.
Many times, we find ourselves at a crossroad- to laugh or not to laugh. Let us be led by the Holy Spirit even in things as seemingly unimportant as jokes. Many unbelieving comedians now mount our pulpits belting out profanity! How easy will it be for that same pulpit to preach salvation to them?
The same is true of the kinds of materials we share and forward on the internet. We are the salt and the light of the earth. Our words and acts should season and direct people to Jesus. We ought to be different. We cannot join the crowd no matter how funny.
Thank you for sharing.
Favour!