It Was a Joke

Over the last month or so, a series of fires burned down church buildings in Alabama. There did not seem to be a racial pattern to the burnings—five churches were predominantly white and five were predominantly black. All of the churches were Baptist and all were in rural parts of the state. There was no reason known for the fires— no notes, demands or political statements. One pastor said, “We were fearful while they were on the loose because we did not know their agenda.” We know their agenda now. The fires were set by three college students who set the first fires as “a joke.” The later fires started to throw investigators off the track.

At the same time this was happening, a bank was being robbed in Williston, North Dakota. A man named Ryan Wright was wearing a ski mask when walked into the bank and demanded money. When the terrified tellers began to comply with his demands, he told them that he was “just kidding.”

I don’t think that the “Hey, I was just kidding” defense is going to work in either of these cases. My girls would sometimes try to cover a sassy remark with “I’m just kidding.” It didn’t work for them either. I don’t think it is any accident that those involved on both crimes were drunk at the time. But you know, just like alcohol lowers the inhibitions and leads us to bad behavior, sometimes trying to be funny does the same thing. I know that I have cross the line and said things that were hurtful because I was trying to make a joke. And I’ve been stung by the attempts at levity by others. Hey, this wasn’t exactly robbing a bank or burning down a church, but efforts at humor can cause pain nonetheless.

The Bible wants us to take seriously the power of our words. Our language can be a fire that destroys others (James 3:6, Prov 16:27). Paul warns us to guard against unwholesome talk and to speak words that build each other up (Eph 4:29). Later he says “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place” (Eph 5:4). Jesus says that we one day will have to give an account of every careless word (Matt 12:26). Maybe “I was just joking” makes about as much sense to God as an excuse for us hurting others with our words as it does as an excuse for burning down church buildings and robbing banks.