This song is brilliant.
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor
No one laughs at God
When the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one’s laughing at God
When it’s gotten real late
And their kid’s not back from the party yet
No one laughs at God
When their airplane start to uncontrollably shake
No one’s laughing at God
When they see the one they love, hand in hand with someone else
And they hope that they’re mistaken
No one laughs at God
When the cops knock on their door
And they say we got some bad news, sir
No one’s laughing at God
When there’s a famine or fire or flood
[Chorus]
But God can be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke, or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they’re ’bout to choke
God can be funny
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha
Commentary: In Laughing With, Regina Spektor looks at how God, the being who created all things, is viewed differently at different moments in life. It’s easy to think the idea of God is comical when looking at lunacy, or when all is well in life. But when life is difficult, people are less likely to laugh at God
When people “make fun of religion”, most of the time they’re not making fun of the serious side of the human condition like sickness, conflicts, and poverty.
Instead, they’re making fun of people who use religion to push their own agendas, like spreading hate and stealing people’s money. When we make fun of human ignorance and avarice masquerading as religion and spirituality, God is laughing with us.
