HUMOR

MANSFIELD'S BOOK OF MANLY MEN (111-121)

• "Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps: for he is the only animal that is struck by the difference between what things are and what they ought to be." - William Hazlitt
• In more serious situations, man humor confronts fear and prepares the heart for action. It's a tool for dealing with danger, quieting panic, and calling comrades to prepare to charge.
• Manly humor is one of the great joys of being a man.
• G.K. Chesterton saw the universe as filled with benevolent mystery. He believed a loving God designed creation to appeal to the curiosity and intellectual hunger of mankind.
• A pope called him (Chesterton) a gifted defender of the faith. Even one of his greatest opponents said that the world is not thankful enough for him.
• He was a man of humor, fun, and fascination with the wonder of the universe and a great hunger to know. It made him exceptional, one of the giants of his age.
• "Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere"
• "By experts in poverty I do not mean sociologists, but poor men."
• "Moderate strength is shown in violence, supreme strength is shown in levity."
• "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried."
• "To be clever enough to get all the money, one must be stupid enough to want it."
• Churchill wrote, "In my belief, you cannot deal with the most serious things in the world unless you also understand the most amusing." He, like Chesterton, teaches us that humor is more than a form of play. It grows from our view of the world. It is a tool of manly leadership. It is a gracious gift from God as we live in a troubling world. Thank God for Chesterton and Churchill!