Over-the-top funny

Jesus, help me to see the best in everyone -- funny kids and hurting ones! Amen.

"Love your enemies," Jesus taught. "Do good to people who are mean to you. If someone hits you on one cheek, let them hit the other. If they take your coat, give them your shirt, too. It's easy to be nice to people who like you -- everyone does that. But when you're nice to someone who hates you, God is proud of you."

Think about the funniest kid you know. What makes that kid so funny? Does he always have a new joke to tell? Does she make silly faces no one else can? Does he have the best comebacks when someone's being nasty? Does she find something to laugh about, even in the worst situation?

Kids like that are "over-the-top" funny. In this week's Gospel (Luke 6:27-38), Jesus talks about being "over-the-top" in another way: being really nice, even when other people aren't.

The funniest kid you know probably sees the humor in every day, whether it's a good or a bad day. In the Gospel story, Jesus is teaching the same lesson: to see the good parts even in people who seem to be bad.

Jesus wants everyone to be "over-the-top" nice: to try to love people who treat you badly, because they need love the most! Jesus even taught that, if someone hurts you or takes your stuff, offer them more. Someone in such a bad space must really need a friend.

People naturally want to be around someone who's funny. It's fun to be with kids who are cheerful and not serious all the time. Jesus wasn't talking about humor in the Gospel story, but He could have been: He taught us to be those cheerful people.

As a funny kid knows, you can win a lot of people over with a happy face!