All of us, at one time or another, have experienced the strange physiological reaction of zygomatic stimulation and subsequent larynx strain. This strain upsets the respiratory system, which results in deep, noisy gasps. The mouth opens and closes as the lungs struggle for oxygen. The struggle for oxygen causes the face to turn various shades of red and strange, unique noises emerge from deep within. What is this strange, physiological reaction I am describing?(1) It is laughter!<\/p>\n
We normally associate laughter with humor. But, GELOTOLOGY, the study of laughter, suggests another trigger for laughter called the incongruity theory. This theory suggests that laughter arises when logic and familiarity are replaced by things that don\u2019t normally go together — when we expect one outcome and another happens. Generally speaking, our minds and bodies anticipate what\u2019s going to happen and how it\u2019s going to end based on logical thought, emotion, and our past experience. But, when circumstances go in unexpected directions, our thoughts and emotions suddenly have to switch gears and laughter emerges out of the tension between what we expect — and what actually happens.<\/p>\n
Now as I thought about the incongruity theory of laughter, I wondered if it might shed light on the nature of faith, particularly as it relates to Sarah and her laughter at God\u2019s promise of children in Genesis 18:11-15. I\u2019ve always been amazed that the letter of Hebrews counts Sarah among the faithful in the \u201chall of faith.\u201d Sarah, we\u2019re told by the author, is one of the faithful witnesses because she \u201creceived the ability to conceive by faith, even beyond the proper time of life SINCE SHE CONSIDERED GOD FAITHFUL WHO HAD PROMISED\u201d (Hebrews 11:11). Yet many commentators, and perhaps most of us, see Sarah\u2019s laughter at this announcement as evidence of a lack of faith. Perhaps we see a lack of faith because we have difficulty believing that faith can be found in the gap between what we expect and what actually happens. Or, we believe that faith never doubts, nor questions, nor struggles with the seeming incongruities of life.<\/p>\n
I will concede that Sarah\u2019s laughter indicates a level of disbelief. And, frankly, who can blame her? Who wouldn\u2019t laugh at the promise of a child to someone barren and long beyond the childbearing years? But, I also believe Sarah\u2019s laughter contains a glimmer of faith; faith that is really found in incongruity — in holding together belief and disbelief in the face of incongruent circumstances and situations.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would indeed have a child from whom God would \u201cmake a great nation\u201d seems too good to be true. God tells them one thing, but Sarah\u2019s experience tells her another: age made it physically impossible to bear children. And so Sarah laughed when God came calling that day. She laughs out loud! And I believe her laughter was filled with the tension stemming from disbelief, incredulity, doubt, and that tiny glimmer of hope beyond hope that what God was saying, despite all she experienced to the contrary, was the truth.<\/p>\n
Sarah\u2019s story helps us to see that faith is the tension between belief and unbelief. For long before, when the Lord first made this promise to Abraham, the text tells us that Abraham \u201cbelieved God and it was counted as righteousness.\u201d Twenty-five years transpire after this initial declaration of faith; twenty-five years of barrenness, and futile attempts to have children in other ways, and twenty-five years of God seeming silent, of not making good on what was promised. So, when you look at what it meant for Abraham and Sarah to believe God, it meant taking a journey of following God in faith, even when God did not clearly show them the way. Abraham and Sarah believed God, but that belief was not absolute certainty. It was a journey filled with tension between what was expected, and what actually happened! Sarah\u2019s laughter reveals a FAITH THAT FILLS THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT WE EXPECT AND WHAT ACTUALLY COMES TO BE, AND A FAITH THAT ENABLES US TO PLACE OUR TRUST IN A FAITHFUL GOD EVEN WHEN WE DON\u2019T ALWAYS SEE HIS FAITHFULNESS.<\/p>\n
Sarah\u2019s story shows us that the laughter of faith is the laughter of incongruity. But, ultimately, like Sarah and Abraham, real faith casts us wholeheartedly upon the God who is free to act and to do as God wants, in God\u2019s time, and in God\u2019s way. Faith is the ability to answer \u201cyes\u201d to the God for whom nothing is impossible, even when our lives tell us the answer is \u201cno.\u201d More than this, faith is not dependent on us but is rooted in the God who time and time again proves faithful. The apostle Paul affirms this idea as he retells the Abraham and Sarah story in his letter to the Romans: \u201cThat promise God gave Abraham and Sarah…was not given because of something they did or didn\u2019t do….it was based on God\u2019s decision to put everything together for them. As we throw open our doors to God, we discover at the same moment that God has already thrown open the door for us\u201d (Romans 4, THE MESSAGE).<\/p>\n
And just like that, the doors open and God gets the last laugh. Isaac is born, and Isaac\u2019s name means, \u201cone who laughs\u201d (Genesis 21:6). Sarah declares in the laughter of faith, \u201cGod has made laughter for me; EVERYONE WHO HEARS WILL LAUGH WITH ME!\u201d<\/p>\n
________<\/p>\n
1. Research on laughter from http:\/\/people.howstuffworks.com\/laughter4.htm
\n________<\/p>\n
Copyright \u00a9 2007 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. “A Slice of Infinity” is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.<\/p>\n
====================
\nAnother version from April 22, 2008:<\/p>\n
THE INCONGRUITY THEORY OF FAITH<\/p>\n
Most of us associate laughter with humor. We\u2019ve all experienced the side-splitting guffaw in response to a good joke, a funny story, or to an embarrassing moment. But gelotologists, scientists who study laughter, suggest another trigger point altogether. This trigger is formally called the incongruity theory for laughter. The theory suggests that laughter arises when logic and familiarity are replaced by things that don\u2019t normally go together; when we expect one outcome and another happens. Generally speaking, our minds and bodies anticipate what\u2019s going to happen and how it\u2019s going to end based on logical thought, emotion, and our past experience. But when circumstances go in unexpected directions, our thoughts and emotions suddenly have to switch gears and laughter emerges out of the tension between what we expect and what actually happens.<\/p>\n
Now as I thought about the incongruity theory of laughter, I wondered if it might shed light on the nature of faith, particularly as it relates to the biblical story of Sarah and her laughter at God\u2019s promise of children in Genesis 18:11-15. I\u2019ve always been amazed that the letter of Hebrews counts Sarah among the faithful in the \u201chall of faith.\u201d Sarah, we\u2019re told by the author, is one of the faithful witnesses because she \u201creceived the ability to conceive by faith, even beyond the proper time of life since she considered God faithful who had promised\u201d (Hebrews 11:11). Many commentators, and perhaps most of us, see Sarah\u2019s laughter at God\u2019s promise as evidence of a lack of faith. Perhaps we see a lack of faith because we have difficulty believing that faith can be found in the gap between what we expect, and what actually happens, or that faith never doubts, nor questions, nor struggles with the seeming incongruities of life.<\/p>\n
On one level, Sarah\u2019s laughter does indicate a level of disbelief. And frankly, who can blame her? Who wouldn\u2019t laugh at the promise of a child to someone barren and long beyond the childbearing years? But I also believe Sarah\u2019s laughter contains a glimmer of faith — faith that is really found in incongruity — in holding together belief and disbelief in the face of incongruent circumstances and situations.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would indeed have a child from whom God would \u201cmake a great nation\u201d seems too good to be true. God tells them one thing, but Sarah\u2019s experience tells her another — age alone made it physically impossible to bear children! And so Sarah laughed when God came calling that day. She laughs out loud! And I\u2019m certain her laughter was filled with the tension between disbelief, incredulity, doubt, and that tiny glimmer of hope beyond hope that what God was saying, despite all she knew to the contrary, was the truth.<\/p>\n
Sarah\u2019s story helps us to see that faith is the tension between belief and unbelief. For long before, when the Lord first made this promise to Abraham, the text tells us that Abraham \u201cbelieved God and it was counted as righteousness.\u201d Twenty-five years transpire after this initial declaration of faith, twenty-five years of barrenness, and futile attempts to have children in other ways, and twenty-five years of God seeming silent, of not making good on what was promised. So, when you look at what it meant for Abraham and Sarah to believe God, it meant taking a journey — of following God in faith, even when God did not clearly show them the way. Abraham and Sarah believed God, but that belief was not absolute certainty. It was a journey filled with tension between what was expected, and what actually happened.<\/p>\n
Sarah\u2019s story shows us that the laughter of faith is the laughter of incongruity. But ultimately, like Sarah and Abraham, real faith casts us wholeheartedly upon the God who is free to act and to do as God wants, in God\u2019s time, and in God\u2019s way. Faith is the ability to answer \u201cyes\u201d to the God for whom nothing is impossible, even when our lives tell us the answer is \u201cno.\u201d More than this, faith is not dependent on us but is rooted in the God who time and time again proves faithful. The apostle Paul affirms this idea as he re-tells the Abraham and Sarah story in his letter to the Romans:<\/p>\n
\u201cThat promise God gave Abraham and Sarah…was not given because
\n of something they did or didn\u2019t do….[I]t was based on God\u2019s
\n decision to put everything together for them. As we throw open
\n our doors to God, we discover at the same moment that God has
\n already thrown open the door for us.\u201d(1)<\/p>\n
And just like that, the doors open and God gets the last laugh. Isaac is born. Isaac\u2019s name means \u201cone who laughs.\u201d And Sarah declares in the laughter of faith: \u201cGod has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me!\u201d (Genesis 21:6).<\/p>\n
________<\/p>\n
1. Romans 4 as translated in THE MESSAGE.<\/p>\n
________<\/p>\n
Copyright \u00a9 2008 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. “A Slice of Infinity” is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.<\/p>\n
[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #5855]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
All of us, at one time or another, have experienced the strange physiological reaction of zygomatic stimulation and subsequent larynx strain. This strain upsets the respiratory system, which results in deep, noisy gasps. The mouth opens and closes as the lungs struggle for oxygen. The struggle for oxygen causes the face to turn various shades […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3132,3126,4453,4452],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5026"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5026\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}