Recently, it was April Fool’s Day again. There are different theories of the origin and significance of this day, but commemorating at this time of year the making a fool of Christ in his trial is certainly tied up in the tradition. As with so many things, Jesus – the one whose throne is a cross of execution and whose crown is of thorns – turns things inside out and upside down. The tradition of Christ the Fool, the Clown, the Jester is also a strong one. We have it, for example, in the musical, Godspell. I recently preached on Jesus the Jewish Jester. His stories were memorable because they are filled with Palestinian peasant humour that we often ignore – forgetting how important humour is in the flourishing humanity that God wills for us.
The Liturgy website has a tradition of prank posts on April Fool’s Day – it irks some and is even eagerly anticipated by many. It is especially bothersome to some who are so close to the Eastern side of the International Date Line that they are upset that they are last to see a particular date begin (or ignore this; or even do not know it); and some seem to forget the world is round at all! [Or hold to the biblical teaching that it is flat!]
There are usually a number of clues to indicate the post does not correlate with reality (in a world where deliberate “Fake News” and “Alternative Facts” is now a thing, April Fool’s is more fraught). Links, Latin, highlighted letters spelling out the clue… all add to the post’s date itself to indicate to the reader that something is amis.
Here for the delight of most, from over the years, are Liturgy’s April Fool’s posts:
Pope to be Archbishop of Canterbury for a day
Pope & Archbishop of Canterbury recognise virtual sacraments
Pope renounces infallibility
New Ecumenical English Missal
Archaeologists Find Q
Pope Francis to make Martin Luther a Saint on October 31
Fixing Easter Day
Sell Your Church Property to Serve Your Shrinking Congregation
Lent Extended Easter Delayed
Archaeologists Uncover Upper Room
Anglicans Welcome Disaffected Catholic Latin-Mass Lovers
New Bible Version
Ash Sunday & Other Church Year Changes
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