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Good Humour

The Chaplains' Corner
Circa 1942 

A Naval Officer was discussing with a Padre qualities of lives of men that made life aboard ships happier and more efficient.  The padre asked: "How about good humour?" "That is essential", came the reply.
 
The Apostle Paul in describing how Christian love worked, gave several qualities that it produced, among them, good humour. In the thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians he stated that love was "not easily provoked." Many things in this world tend to provoke us, upset our plans, disrupt our work or interfere our play.  We are inclined to make lot of

fuss, waste our time and energy complaining about what cannot be helped.  We only make ourselves and others miserable to no advantage.  Some unpleasant things have to be put up with, lived through and made the best, of.  People who learn to overcome small annoyances, who carry on in spite of them and who see the funny side of them, make life pleasanter for themselves and for others.

Those who saw the Navy Show will remember the tall lad with the solemn expression and a loose-fitting overall suit who sang "You'll get used to it."
 
Some things we have to get used to, and the sooner we learn to do so with good humour the better.  Some things certainly should provoke us.  They are contrary to fair play and decency and human welfare.  It is not wise for us to get so accustomed to evil things that we don't care what happens.  We are not letting the tyranny and brutality of the Nazi regime go unchallenged.  We should be in a poor moral condition indeed if such cruel persecution did not rouse our moral indignation.  There are many real evils to be overcome, jobs to be done, wholesome and worthwhile fun to be had, good friends to be known and we shall be better fitted to meet these things if in our ordinary inconveniences and disappointments we are "not easily provoked."

Many have read Lloyd Douglas' Popular book, "The Robe," a novel built around the story of the soldier who tossed for Christ's Robe and won.  Here is a poem inspired by the same scene, and written by a Padre of the last war,  Studdert Kennedy:

             And sitting down they watched Him there
             The soldiers did
             There, while they played with dice
             He made His sacrifice
             And died upon the Cross to rid
             God's world of sin
             He was a gambler, too, my Christ,
             He took His life and threw
             It for a world redeemed,
             And ere His agony was done,
             Before the westering sun went down
             Crowning the world with its crimson crown,
             He knew that He had won.

 J. R. SCOTT

 Chaplain (P) R.C.N.
 H.M.C.S. Avalon