This revision is from 2010/11/06 17:22. You can Restore it.
Here are some thoughts about goofing around that we should consider.
Matthew 12:36-37 - "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
2 Timothy 2:16 - "But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness"
Here's a thought about Proverbs 26:19 which says, "Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!”"
I know that the primary meaning is someone who is like the man in Proverbs 6:12-13, "A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signalsc with his feet, points with his finger." That is, clearly v26:19 describes that God's Spirit opposes being deceptive and hiding under the cloak of "just kidding." But often I feel like it applies to other kinds of joking as well.
What value are we getting from all of these goofy modern forms of humor, ranging from media to daily verbal "horsing around". Look at what it masks, if you let into your life more and more. I might laugh at clever webcomics (xkcd, smbc, abstrusegoose, irregularwebcomic, etc.) or Youtubers (e.g., waverlyflams, schmoyoho, ...), but I then look the other way when they blaspheme the God that gave them their very chance at life. No more; I'm done.
I'm even finding schadenfreude (e.g. failblog) conviction under Proverbs 17:5 - "Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished."
I know that this is a heavy word in a way. People, Christians included, like diversion, levity, jolliness, etc. But these are dark times, and this is another flavor of dissipation. Let's spend less time chuckling and more time seeking God.