Jesting with Job
They say there's humour in the Biblebut I am not so sure.The scholars cite a joke or two.Why aren't there rather more?
They say there's punning in the Hebrew.I'll take their word on that.And ironies, of course, aboundin God's Magnificat.
'He that sitteth in the heavensshall laugh,' we're told — and, yes,we have no trouble seeing why.In Proverbs, I confess,
we find an inner smile or twoor wince of moral truth,a grin perhaps less pretty whenwe lose an eye or tooth.
The Book of Psalms (one twenty-six)has mouths that 'filled with laughter' —but that's no consolation ifa smiting's coming after.
The Song of Solomon, they say,is good for jokey quotes:that bad-hair day when Sheba's lockswere 'as a flock of goats'.
Scholars argue Jesus hada penchant for the comic.His turn of phrase, I must concede,can often be ironic:
vide, Peter, named the 'Rock',who leaves him in the lurch;vide, Peter, bouncing backin Rome to found a church.
One parable might fit the bill —that story of the sonwhose brother has to fatten calveswhile he's off having fun.
Humour, down from Aristotle,is hellish to define —but camels through the eyes of needles?Water into wine?
My Jewish and my Christian friendscan get a little tribalbut in their dinner reparteethere's not much from the Bible —
although my Jewish colleagues managequotes from Genesis;they sniff out humour there amongits threats and menaces.
The Book of Job is is hardly stand-up.God hands him lots of strife.His poor 'bowels boiled; and rested not' —which hardly pleased his wife
who also found his breath was 'strange'.The moral though runs deep.Much much later, Job was given'fourteen thousand sheep'.
There may be nonsense in the Gnostics(who failed to get the nod)but they're, of course, apocryphal,and not approved by God.
Some say the triumph over deathmay bring an airy smile —St Peter's cheerful applicantslined up in single file.
The Bible's handed down from heaven,suitably embossed(we like to think) in English butwith all the wisecracks lost.
I type them back as God looks onto save me from conceit.It may be just be a year or twobefore my job's complete.
Twirps
How well-suited words can be!'Twirp', for instance. Etym. dub.'Stupid or annoying fellow',less than welcome at the club.
'Smart-arse' isn't quite the same;a 'smart-arse' can't compete with breeding.Twirps are upper middle class —and rarely find their heart is bleeding.
To hunt them down's not hard — althougha silver spoon may be required.Private schools can be of use.Debating also, three a side.
Twirps aspire to leadershipbut check in short on gravitas.Their running commentary suggestsless the