I was teaching recently at a seminar in Indonesia. As usual, I tried to break the ice by beginning with a humorous story. No one laughed. Except maybe my interpreter. Later, I asked why. “You are a pastor,” I was told, “Pastors are supposed to be serious.”
Really? In the early years of my ministry, my wife told me I was too serious. People were going to her because they were afraid to approach me. Over the years, I tried to loosen up, smile more and frown less.
Then, I moved from pastoring to training. I was directing leadership training for pastors and leaders from the developing nations. I sat in lectures listening to facilitators from all over the world. I noticed how some of them would sprinkle their training with stories from their countries.
The stories ranged from the subtly witty to the hilariously funny. Like this one.
When Idi Amin became President of Uganda, he wanted to name the country after him. No one dared to stop him. Except his senior advisor. “Sir,” he said, “there is country called Cyprus, and the people there are called Cypriots. Do you really want to call our country Idi?”
Over the years, I collected these stories. Telling humorous stories can be risky—like what happened to me when no one laughed. But when they do, an instant connection happens. The Jewish Talmud counsels, “Open your discourse with a jest, and let your hearts laugh a little; then become serious.”
A burst of laughter sparks off a rush of endorphins, chemicals within our body that give us a relaxed sense of pleasure. Humour paves the way for learning, making it fun and unforgettable. Laughter also breaks barriers, and binds people, turning strangers to friends. Let’s try one more for the road.
Ahmed and Mohammed met from neighbouring countries. Ahmed: “So, you have nuclear power—what are you going to do with it?” Mohammed: “For peaceful means, of course. We are using it to send someone to the moon.”
Ahmed: “You fool, the Americans had gone there years ago. For us, we are using our nuclear power to send someone to the sun.” Mohammed; “You fool, the sun is so hot, you will fry to death!” Ahmed: “We have a secret. We are going to send him there at night.”
David Wong is a dear friend of Graceworks. We have had the pleasure to publish several of his books. In his 45 years of ministry, Rev Dr David Wong has pastored churches, taught in theological schools, and trained leaders from over 100 nations. Lyricist to six musicals and author of 20 books, he and his wife are blessed with two married daughters and four grandchildren. He currently runs a series of “Sermon Stories: Laugh and Learn” on his blog, davidwong.sg.