Some filmmakers have even thought that Jesus didn't laugh. They produced a Life of Christ in which He was 100% dignified and 100% wooden.
Can you imagine any kid wanting to approach Jesus if He didn't have a smile on His face and the ability to play around with them? We know they did approach Him and He must have enjoyed them, because He told His followers - who must have thought Messiahs have to be 100% dignified - to leave the kids alone. So Jesus definitely must enjoy Linda, who in certain ways is still child-like.
My sister Linda has various disabilities, psychological, learning disabilities, and neurological, but she has one ability in far greater quantities than I do: she can make people smile and laugh. Effortlessly. I am the oldest sister; she is the youngest; I carry the world on my shoulders constantly; she constantly says "It'll get better - it'll be all right - don't worry so much." Guess which one of us will die from a heart attack?!
Solemn me inwardly cringes in advance whenever I drive her to a Doctor's office because I know she will talk to everyone in the waiting room immediately. "Hi, I'm Linda. What's your name?" The same goes for the Doctors, nurses, physicians' assistants...The person she addresses may be momentarily thrown for a loss by what many would consider an invasion of personal space. But few can resist her sunshine smile.
Interestingly, many people seem to enjoy her personal interest and they end up talking about all sorts of things. I've learned over the years to go with the flow and relax and let her take the lead. Once when I was doing some banking, she sat in the waiting area and talked to a lady waiting to see a bank manager. The woman began to cry and Linda comforted her, instantly empathetic and not in the least intimidated by being in a public space. She knows the first name and part of the personal history of every clerk at her local CVS, Dollar General, and UPS, and every foreign-born Liberty cabbie. They all know her name is Linda.
Her house is both physical chaos and her art gallery of her own art. Oil paintings of Native Americans and mythical figures hang on the walls, ink and colored pencil folk art artwork is stored in booklets, paper cut-outs are happily taped to walls and woodwork. The booklets are full of wickedly funny animal characters with detailed bodies and costumes and quips coming out of their mouths in cartoon balloons.
She goes to the library to confirm that her characters are anatomically correct. Or that the planets in her latest children's story dance around the sun in correct order. She spends hours of hard work on her stories and artwork. Her zest for life comes from this ability to spontaneously play, to create. It's the same joy and spontaneity with which a loving God with a sense of humor created a universe filled with no less eccentric plants, animals, and people.
The last time we drove to her house, parked, and got out of the car, a stranger, a young boy passing on the sidewalk in front, stopped and asked "Where's Linda? Tell her Fred said 'hello.'"
That's my Linda.
One of my favorite images of Jesus.
I learn a lot from her about Love and the healing power of Laughter.
"BLESSED ARE THE PURE OF HEART FOR THEY WILL SEE GOD." (Matt. 5:7)