The Power of Laughter
God knows a lot about merriment. Thousands of years ago, King Solomon proclaimed in Proverbs 17:22, “A joyful heart is good medicine!” There are people around the world who have known and understood this for a long time.
Last summer I experienced an incredible two months exploring Europe. The first country I visited was Portugal. Located on the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal divides the inland Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. Its waters are a deep shade of blue, its sands are golden, and its people are full of life.
The Portuguese are lively and warm spirited. Their history is colorful, and it is filled with centuries of the struggle to achieve, and then maintain, their independence. They have a heartfelt vibrancy that is refreshing.
One of the things that inspired me was the lack of inhibition the people possess. Throughout the day, as I was exploring, I saw individuals, young and old, walking on their way to their destination, and while they walked, THEY SANG! Who wouldn’t want to live in a place where you are so filled with joy you burst into song? And no one looks at you strangely. It’s actually rather commonplace.
The people’s enthusiasm was contagious. I visited a beautiful city park, Jardim da Cordoaria in the city of Porto, which featured four large statues of thirteen men laughing with each other. The men are laughing so hard that they are falling! It was delightful—you simply cannot look at it without breaking into a gale of laughter. This moved me with waves of deep joy within.
Doctors proclaim that laughter enhances our intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates our heart, lungs and muscles, and increases endorphins that are released by our brains to help relieve pain, reduce stress and improve our mood and outlook. Laughter leads to a joyful heart. God is honored when our hearts rejoice, and our minds are at ease. His ears delight when our laughter rises to the Heavens. When this happens, I can feel that God is indeed smiling and chuckling along with us.