Fools, Tricksters, and Miracles

Happy almost April Fools Day, Miracles!

Is there holiness in mischief?

Humor, jokes, riddles, and puns all work to encourage us to step out of our ordinary ways of perceiving information and relating to others and in so doing often expose us to new ways of seeing and behaving that have the potential to do us much good. April Fool’s puts me in the mind of Trickster, that floppy-tongued, well-endowed, coyote-eared, clown-faced God who is found in the smoky backrooms of every real bar, always on the wrong side of the tracks, and wherever there’s a party to be had or a story to be told.

Trickster is also found, in more than one story, guarding the gates of heaven and you have to answer his riddles before he lets you in. Trickster pads into our lives leaving mud on the kitchen floor and telling us a string of the best dirty jokes. He also teaches us how to plant seeds, tell stories, and wait for the harvest. Above all he encourages us to take a risk, take a chance, try something new. In my family we were taught that when he shows up you perk up your ears and pay attention — for Trickster loves nothing more than to give (sometimes good and sometimes bad) advice. We honor him by listening to what he has to say, laughing at his jokes, telling him a tall tale or two, and above all by doing something we have never done before.