Our son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Brianna, are truly kind and generous at sending us videos of Cole and allowing for almost daily periods of facetime with him. If I had a nickel for every time Lois replays a video and remarks, “He makes me laugh,” I would be a rich man, During advent, we received several entertaining videos sharing his excitement over discovering the mischievous behavior of the magical Elf on the Shelf. Yesterday, St. Patrick’s Day, brought digital humor into our apartment in Florida when Cole arrived home from school. Much to his exquisite delight, the “Lepra-man” had visited his house, this after creating havoc at his school. Here, the leprechaun set up a green and white barrier in the kitchen, which Cole had to figure out how to get past. He also turned the milk in the fridge green, and wrote Cole a note, which he read even though he cannot read. He made it up and what a cute note it was! And yes, upon watching the video, Lois said: “He makes me laugh.” All our children are precious and often offer us priceless comic relief, especially during times that weigh heavily upon the heart.
Viktor Frankl, the Austrian neurologist, psychologist, philosopher and holocaust survivor, no stranger to suffering, poignantly and profoundly noted:
Laughter is the currency of hope.
Indeed, it is.
Last December, Pope Francis provided a guest essay for the New York Times. It was published on his birthday, December 17th, There is Faith in Humor. I found the following passage to be very moving and meaningful.
The Gospel, which urges us to become like little children for our own salvation (Matthew 18:3), reminds us to regain their ability to smile.
Today, nothing cheers me as much as meeting children. When I was a child, I had those who taught me to smile, but now that I am old, children are often my mentors. The meetings with them are the ones that thrill me the most, that make me feel best.
And then those meetings with old people: Those elderly who bless life, who put aside all resentment, who take pleasure in the wine that has turned out well over the years, are irresistible. They have the gift of laughter and tears, like children. When I take children in my arms during the audiences in St. Peter’s Square, they mostly smile; but others, when they see me dressed all in white, think I’m the doctor who has come to give them a shot, and then they cry.
They are examples of spontaneity, of humanity, and they remind us that those who give up their own humanity give up everything, and that when it becomes hard to cry seriously or to laugh passionately, then we really are on the downhill slope. We become anesthetized, and anesthetized adults do nothing good for themselves, nor for society, nor for the church.
I am deeply stirred by that line in the last paragraph about children being our mentors who are abundantly gifted with the ability to remind us of something especially important:
…they remind us that those who give up their own humanity give up everything, and that when it becomes hard to cry seriously or to laugh passionately, then we really are on the downhill slope.
Our humanity is defined in significant ways by our capacity to cry seriously and to laugh passionately. And it seems obvious to me that too much of the nation and too many of our people today have given up their humanity and have become anesthetized and uncaring. I am reminded of one of the most powerful verses found in scripture, particularly for this sacred season of Lent. Jesus approaches the city of Jerusalem and weeps and laments over the city saying:
41 rAnd when he drew near and saw the city, she wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! (Luke 19: 41-42, NRSVU)
Over that same Jerusalem and other great cities around the world Jesus weeps anew. Just today, news outlets reported that Israel resumed airstrikes in Gaza, killing four hundred men, women, and children, adding to the 48,000 already dead. In addition, earlier this month, Isreal halted the delivery of aid and humanitarian supplies and electricity that flowed to a water desalination plant in the enclave. The world is crying seriously.
The wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3 tells us:
3 For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn … (NRSVU)
Spring is upon us and sadly, with it comes a ‘time to weep and mourn.’
While laughter may be the currency of hope, our tears are meant to move us to see the inhumanity of our ways and act to change them.
Victor Hugo, the French Romantic novelist, poet and politician, the author of Les Misérables, written in 1862, said:
Those who do not weep, do not see.
Pope Francis is one who does see. He described us in the following terms:
Humanity needs to weep, and this is the time for weeping.
And the Dalai Lama said this:
If our tears do not lead us to act, then we have lost the reason for our humanity, which is compassion.
On March 13, 2025, David Gibson, the director of the Center for Religion and Culture at Fordham University published an opinion piece in the New York Times, titled: The Age of Trump has its Prophet: Pope Francis. With Pope Francis still in the hospital and concern for succession extremely high, Gibson writes:
The yearning for a leader who puts the needs and interests of others — including the least powerful — ahead of his own is felt especially among the many Americans today who desperately seek a light inside the darkness of Donald Trump.
For this pope has emerged in the face of perilous global trends that have at times left the forces of liberal democracy reeling — nationalism, populism, disinformation, xenophobia, economic inequality, and authoritarianism. A world without a pope like Francis will in some ways resemble a Hobbesian dystopia without a prophet pointing to our better angels or a sensible idealist showing a better way.
I am convinced that Jesus weeps anew over our nation and all despotic parts of the world during this Lenten season because of our unwillingness to seek peace rather than conduct war, to be cruel, even criminal and certainly unchristian rather than show compassion, to enhance the wealth and power of the privileged while exposing and capitalizing on the vulnerability of the poor and defenseless. Count me among those “many Americans” who desperately seek a light inside the darkness of Donald Trump.
I am very fond of the following quote:
The greatness of humanity is not in being human but in being humane.
(Mahatma Gandhi)
Little in this administration meets that criterion for assessing how great humanity might be. Indeed, I am stunned by the callous and cruel display of inhumane behavior. Marco Rubio, our Secretary of State, recently boasted about cutting 83% of the programs, roughly 5200, from the United States Agency for International Development. Imagine how dangerous and destructive that effort will prove to be.
I found the following report from Democracy Now! The War and Peace Report, shared by Amy Goodman:
We continue to look at how the Trump administration’s cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development are likely to cause enormous human suffering, leading to increased death and disability, accelerated disease spread, political instability and heightened threats to U.S. national security. That’s according to internal USAID memos.
One leaked memo has a chart for different program areas and the expected global case increase over one year if programs are permanently halted. For malaria, an additional 12.5 million to 17.9 million cases, with up to 166,000 additional deaths each year. For tuberculosis, a 28 to 32% increase in estimated incidence globally. For Ebola, worst-case scenario, more than 28,000 cases. Polio, an additional 200,000 paralytic polio cases a year over the next decade. The memo also projects that 1 million children will lose treatment for severe acute malnutrition each year. It was written by USAID’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Global Health Nicholas Enrich.
Clearly, what we are witnessing in this country and around the world is a giving up on what President Jimmy Carter called “our common humanity,” resulting in the inhumane treatment of others. For sure, we must find reasons to laugh and use the currency of hope, but we must also weep over our loss of humanity so that we might see and act.
Let me close with the following list of suggestions for what we might do. (Elevating Humanity: Inspiring Altruism in Challenging Times, December 1, 2024)
- The transformative power of doing good
Businesswoman, philanthropist and initiator of Good Deeds Day, Shari Arisonbelieves that “Doing good holds the power to transform us on the inside, and then ripple out in ever-expanding circles that positively impact the world at large.” - Embrace empathy
…it is crucial to cultivate empathy. Helen Keller's poignant quote, "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart," - Recognize our shared humanity
In challenging times, it's easy to focus on our differences, but it's more important than ever to recognize our shared humanity. Maya Angelou's poignant statement, "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter their color," - Start small, think big
… Small acts of kindness can have a big impact. Mother Teresa expressed this idea eloquently - "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." - Be the change you want to see in the world
Mahatma Gandhi's profound statement, "We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him,” - Seek inspiration in stories of resilience
In times of adversity, the stories of resilience and selflessness can serve as powerful sources of inspiration, guiding us toward altruism. R.J. Palacio's words, "When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind," - Connect with community
Altruism thrives when we connect with our community and work collectively to make a positive impact. Building connections with like-minded individuals and organizations who share our passion for helping others amplifies the potential for change. Margaret Mead's timeless wisdom, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has," - Play with children, “They will make you laugh.”
- Listen to and follow Jesus (John 13:34-35 (NRSVU)
34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Let us work together at elevating our humanity through our laughter and tears.