“The Lighthearted Side of Scripture”
April 1, 2025
April Fool’s Day is a time for laughter, pranks, and lighthearted fun. While the day often contains silly jokes and playful trickery, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the joy of faith and how humor can co-ex with spirituality. One passage in the Bible that evokes chuckles and smiles, for me, is the story of Balaam’s donkey found in Numbers 22:21-34. We see something of God’s sense of humor in this account, where we meet Balaam, a prophet who is summoned by Balak, the king of Moab. Balak wants Balaam to curse the Israelites, who are encroaching upon his territory.
As Balaam sets out on his journey, God’s anger is kindled against him. In a twist of divine intervention, God enables Balaam’s donkey to see an angel in the road, which Balaam himself cannot see. As they travel, the donkey, seeing the angel with a drawn sword, refuses to move forward, causing Balaam to strike his donkey three times in frustration. After the third whack, God opens the donkey’s mouth, and she begins to speak: “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” It seems absurd to read a Scripture passage about a talking donkey chastising a prophet. However, every time I read these verses, I smile at the whimsical nature of this encounter.
What can we learn from this? One of the most profound lessons from the tale of Balaam and his talking donkey is that God has a sense of humor. The absurdity of a donkey speaking didn’t just highlight Balaam’s folly—it reminds us, the readers, that God can use the most unexpected means to communicate His will.
In a world often fraught with solemnity, this story invites us to embrace the lighter side of faith. Just as a good joke can unite people, humor can draw us closer to God, reminding us that we are part of a divine narrative filled with surprises and unexpected turns.
April Fool’s Day is a great day to embrace the whimsical and the humorous. It’s a chance to discover the fun in our everyday lives and share that joy with others. Just like Balaam’s donkey, we might find ourselves needing to stop, take a look around, and realize that sometimes we miss the humor in our daily struggles.
Stories like Balaam and his donkey remind us that our faith journey can be filled with unexpected laughter. Embracing humor allows us to navigate life’s challenges with grace and joy, reminding us that sometimes a good laugh is exactly what we need. The Almighty can make anything happen—even a donkey that chitchats! No fooling!