Four years ago, Dr. Sherwood Eliot Wirt, a consuhing editor to The

Joyful Noiseletter (JN), wrote a delightful book, titled The Book of Joy,

about the lives of merry-heartcd Christians of all denominations

through the centuries. Now 86 years young, Dr. Wirt continues to

enjoy life and reflect Jesus joy, good cheer, and wit. A long-timc

friend and associate of evangelist Billy Graham and the first editor

of Decisionmagazine, he is also busy writing another book, Beloved

Billy, which includes recollections of Dr Graham, including a chapter

on Graham s light side.

Dr. Wirt unearthed and passed on toffN the following remarks

on God s joy and laughter by evangelist Paul Rader, pastor of Moody

Church in Chicago back in the 1920s:

"When God chooses a man, He puts laughtcr into his liti:. God

is dclighted to fill the hearts of men with laughter. The anointing oil

that was poured upon the head of l)avid put laughter into David s

life.

"Laughter, after all, is the surplus of life; it is a bubbling over

of the emotions, a kind of spasm of exuberance, a delight of the

human heart that makes thc thorax cackle; something that warms

the heart and delights the brain and the imagination so thai men are

moved to overflowing delight.

"Thc joy of the Lord is our strength. You may hold all kinds

ot theories, but docs your theory lead to joy? Is there a victorious,

glorious life within your heart in spitc of the conditions that are

roundabout?

"Whenevcr this anointing oil which Jesus bestows is put into

your heart, you will be able to laugh. It is the oil of His presence

that makes holy laughter in the life--not only in the disposition to

laugh at ajoke but the ability to laugh at calamity, to laugh at death,

to laugh at the victory which the devil thought he had won.