A book has just been published with the intriguing title "Laughter at the Foot of the Cross", by one Professor Michael Screech (I wondered if this was a pseudonym, but apparently not). It deals with the question: 'Did Jesus laugh?'

The traditional view, most strongly propounded by St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, was that he did not. The gravity of Jesus excluded laughter. The Bible tells us that Jesus wept, but not that he laughed (but then it doesn't tell us of lots of other things which Jesus surely must have done).

From this, it is inferred that Jesus had no sense of humour, therefore that Christians do not need a sense of humour, and indeed that amusement is totally out of place in the life of faith.

However, that would be to equate laughter and a sense of humour. It is perfectly possible to have a vivid sense of humour without making an audible noise or even smiling (lovers of the silent cinema: think back to Buster Keaton), though one would probably smile 'with ones eyes'.

Jesus was a Jew, and the whole history of Judaism is bound up with a sense of humour, sometimes in view of the history of the people a black sense of humour, but humour nonetheless. One can see this by reading some of the Old Testament stories in the appropriate way. Take Moses trying to wriggle out of being called by God: "Me? You can't mean me? You must be joking . . . " (Exodus 4: 10-13)

Jesus seems to show his sense of humour by being the great master of the 'wind-up'. He refuses to answer questions directly, with certain striking exceptions, and enjoys leading the disciples up the garden path as he says one thing and they think another. This would hardly do for an advertising campaign, of course, but then Jesus isn't 'plugging' the faith like Saatchi and Saatchi.

And just occasionally Jesus meets someone with an even sharper tongue. When he tells the Canaanite woman he cannot help her because she is a 'dog', she replies: "But even the dogs can eat the crumbs that fall under the table" (Matt 15:27). And we can imagine Jesus giving a wry smile and saying "You've got me there".