Job 12:4

A Laughing-Stock

A laughing-stock to his neighbor. Job 12:4.

Hands up those who like to be laughed at! Ah! I thought so! Not a hand to be seen. Hands up those who like to laugh at others! What! Still not a hand? Well I'm glad of that. It shows that even if you do laugh at others you are ashamed of it. For the last time, hands up those who can laugh at themselves! I hope there are lots of hands up this time, for a laugh at oneself is a very wholesome laugh indeed, and does one heaps of good.

1. Now there is no harm in laughing at people if you mean and do it in the right way. No one is the worse of a little good-humored teasing. There is usually plenty of chaff between brothers and sisters, and also between schoolmates; and so long as it is good-humored chaff it is both amusing and useful. It rubs off the corners, it is excellent practice in keeping one's temper, and it is death to humbug. It helps to make boys manly, and it prevents girls from acting snobby. If you make fun in the right way it does good.

2. But the moment teasing means tears it is time to stop. And the moment teasing means badgering or bullying it is more than time to stop. The fun is all gone, and only cruelty remains. There is a laugh that does good, but there is also a laugh that stings like a whip-lash. It makes sport of weakness, it makes fun of deformity, it mocks at holy things.

Have you ever heard of the Laughing Jackass or Laughing Kookaburra? It is a bird that travelers in the Australian bush know well. It is an unimportant-looking bird of the kingfisher type, with a long beak; but the remarkable thing about it is its power of mimicking a human laugh. It can do it better than any parrot. It has an aggravating way, too, of appearing on the scene when anything goes wrong. Has the wagon broken down? Have the traces snapped? There, perched on the branch of a tree, is sure to be found a jackass convulsed with laughter. His “Ha! Ha! Ha!” and his “He! He! He!” mock and taunt the unfortunate traveler.

The donkey laughs because he is a donkey and knows no better, but boys and girls or grown-up people who mock at trouble or sorrow or infirmity have no such excuse unless of course they are content to rank with the donkey.

Making a mock of others is the lowest form of amusement. It is not playing the game; for the person of whom a laughing-stock is made as a rule cannot help his peculiarity. Why make fun of a handicapped person? It is God's kindness that has made your limbs straight and supple. Why imitate a boy with a stammer or stutter? Thank God, rather, that He has enabled you to speak distinctly. Why scoff at a girl whose dress is not as pretty or whose accent is different than yours? It is not her fault. She is none the less a girl because of that, and the chances are that she is twice as much a woman as the girl who sneers at her. Shame on you for these things! Such mockery is beneath contempt.

It is told of a famous old clergyman of a northern town that, as he walked down the street, he saw a crowd gathered round something. He went up to the crowd and found that the something was one of his own church members helplessly drunk. The crowd was making fun and laughing at him, and one man in especial was loud in his sneers at such conduct on the part of a church member. The clergyman walked up to this man and with flashing eye said, “Sir, many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you not laughing, Sir, not laughing but weeping, weeping that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ.” The old clergyman was right. Tears, not laughter, should have greeted such a sight.

Boys and girls, the next time you are tempted to make a mock of anyone stop and think, “There, but for the grace of God, goes myself. ” That thought should take away all desire to hurt with ridicule another human being, especially if you try to imagine what it would be like to be in that other's place. How would you care to be made fun of? Would you enjoy it? Your heart tells you that you would hate it. Listen to your heart, then. It will not lead you wrong; for in its voice you have heard the voice of Christ pleading with you to be merciful and to spare one who is also one of God's children.