Making God Laugh
Several years ago, I shared a shuttle van to Logan Airport with a family that was taking a trip to visit grandparents in England. The five-year-old was full of excitement that just could not be contained. The parents seemed a litle embarrassed that the child was talking non-stop in a voice loud enough to be heard by all. A slightly older sibling tried to shush the chatter, but truly, we had at least five minutes of a breathless checklist of everything the child had packed and a recitation of everything that was about to happen. This family had obviously been preparing for this trip for a while. At some point, when it was clear that the five-year-old’s monologue might go on for the whole forty-minute drive we were anticipating, the mother challenged the child to a little competition. ‘Let’s see whether we can be completely quiet for three minutes.” She started a timer, and the child tried holding his breath, then squirmed miserably, then put his hand over his mouth. At about the two minute mark, the child calmed visibly and appeared to be deep in thought. The silence went well past the required three minutes, and I suspect I was the only one on the van who was disappointed that the child had been quieted. Then, after several more minutes, the child let us know what had been occupying his mind. “What if I made up a really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really” – the older sibling at this point slapped the child on the back. He took a breath and continued “really funny joke – do you think I could make God laugh?” The mother smiled and said, “Well, I have heard that God is given to mirth.”
I’ve been listening to children for a long time, and I know that children are puzzled by great philosophical questions. Still, this question surprised me. Isn’t it amazing that this kindergartener wanted to influence God, and specifically, wondered whether he could make God laugh? Do any of you who are more knowledgable than I about the history of thought know of a grown-up who has posed this question?
I love this! And I love the parallel you point out. When we are surprised by our children's wisdom, it DOES make us laugh -- and laughter is a curious response! Sometimes I have been annoyed or disturbed when a child expresses a serious concern or insight and the grown-ups respond with laughter. But this Talmudic story about God laughing (with delight, in my interpretation) gives me a new way to think about the adult inclination to laugh at the wisdom of children. Thanks for sharing this!
there is a story in the Talmud in which God witnesses a debate among great rabbis and then, realizing that they understand the world better than God does, God laughs. (Some translate it as smiling.) Some rich parallels with parenting! https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Metzia.59b.6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en