Think. Engage. Impact.

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

Regina Spektor is a Russian born Jewish singer songwriter who moved to New York at age nine with her photographer father and music professor mother. Her songwriting skills seem to only be surpassed by her astute gift for observation and an uncanny ability to marry her razor sharp wit with her unique and haunting vocal abilities. This is an artist. She is also, coincidentally, the voice singing the final song in the second Chronicles of Narnia movie, Prince Caspian.

In her new single "Laughing With" from her latest release “Far” she offers up a beautiful (and somewhat painful) double sided critique both of the church, who often presents God as “a genie who does magic like Houdini” as well as the culture at large who laughs “at a cocktail party when listening to a good God-themed joke” but would never think to laugh “when the doctor calls after some routine tests” or “when it’s gotten real late
and their kid’s not back from the party yet”.

It is a helpful thing to have our ear to the ground and be aware of what the culture at large is saying, particularly when they are pointing to things that are true. By no means am I stating that Spektor is a believer. I am saying, however, that as the rain falls on the Christian farmer and non-christian farmer alike, allowing their crops to flourish so that populations can be fed and blessed by their labors, in these lyrics we find truth present.

We also find a unique conversational bridge with those who follow her music. There are message boards discussing the meaning behind these lyrics all over, from the benign Yahoo Answers to blogs and sites with titles like songmeanings.net and thinkatheist.com. What more effective method of evangelism than to simply join in conversations people are already having? With our hearts pointed outward in love for a people who are on the heart of God, with our minds informed, thoroughly sharpened and prepared to engage, with our feet firmly planted upon the truths of Scripture let us…..

Think. Engage. Impact.