Let us consider two sentences:
1. I am very happy when I see you.
2. I laugh a lot when I see you.
Are these two sentences equal?
I hope that every one of us will say, “No, they aren’t equal.” And this happens because, in fact, the laugh isn’t an expression of happiness—it is an expression of an aggressive disposition.
If we look closer at artistic works—especially movies—which make us laugh, we will realize that our laugh is, in fact, an act of hate towards someone. We laugh because something bad or undesired happens to someone else, even if it is a “simple” joke.
Perhaps, in the moment in which we laugh, the other person will sustain the attack but, in the future, he will most probably remember the pain.
After His Resurrection, Christ didn’t give us many commandments. The first one was “Rejoice!” If we want to change His words and put “laugh!” instead, is that the same thing?
No, it isn’t—because laughter isn’t an expression of happiness; it is an expression of aggressive, ironic behavior. That’s why Christ didn’t laugh at all. He just cried for all of us.
Let us avoid laughter—it won’t have good results in the long term: neither for us and neither for others.
We need to be serious and happy, simultaneously. This is a mystery which is learnt through prayer, attention, mercy and good deeds.
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