REV DAVID FAREY: The human capacity to be both frivolous and serious

The human capacity to engage in the frivolous is truly astounding at times. It is apparent in odd flashes at seemingly completely grim times, like a bombed out shop in the London blitz showing a sign, “Business as usual Mr Hitler!” Humour and laughter is not as rare at funerals as may be first thought either. So Graham Norton’s wonderfully tongue in cheek humour maintains the tradition set by Terry Wogan’s similar banter at Eurovision.

We need the occasional frivolous and fun time to counter the grim.

Even Jesus knew how to enjoy himself I am sure. He went to weddings and they are far from grim affairs. We have enough at Hellingly church to know that! Jesus loved the children and loved laughter. When you can spot them the Gospels about Jesus are littered with jokes and tongue in cheek comments. I am sure Graham Norton would be surprised to learn that he has something in common with Jesus in that way!

We need the balance though. If life were simply one long party then we really would be in a mess. Even at a funeral with the occasional light touch of humour there is still the need to deal with the grief and the sadness of parting, even when faith underpins the belief that you will see that person again.

Over and against the craziness of the Eurovision Song Contest there is the serious side to Brexit and working out the complicated relationships between nations once it takes effect. There are politicians as well as non-elected government bureaucrats deep in discussion each trying to protect their nation’s interests.

In this as in other examples of government, local as well as national, decisions are taken by a minority often behind closed doors. It would be inefficient for every single detail of those often intense discussions to be communicated but we should still be demanding a level of appropriate transparency so that we know what our leaders are doing on our behalf’s.

Jesus promised that the time would come when what was said behind closed doors would be shouted from the rooftops, and more than that, will be accountable to God!

The faceless men and women in their closed rooms would do well to remember that.

Until then though, let’s enjoy the fun but make sure our leaders get the message that we want to know what they and their officials are up to as well!