Whoever stopped only at the 95 theses which Martin Luther posted at the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, may likely conclude that he was a man with intolerant disposition to life. What is easily beclouded behind his serious theological musings was that he had his humour side too. This was discernible by a number of flattering titles he sometimes used to address his wife, Katherine. Part of his pet names for her includes: “Kitty, my rib’’, ‘’my Lord Kate’’. When Katherine started raising pigs, Luther gave her a new name – ‘’My Lord Kate, Mistress of the Pigsty.’’ You can’t but see a light-hearted man here.

“The Bible does not condemn humour but frowns at obscenities and profanities. Christians who are comfortable when indecency is churned out in the name of humour need to re-examine themselves.”

Katherine herself was no stranger to humour. When Luther was going through a difficult period, he became depressed and nothing seemed to help. One day, Katherine adorned herself in a black dress. ‘’Who died?’’, Luther was forced to enquire. ‘’God’’, Katherine replied. Luther charged her to come off her foolishness. However, she insisted that God must have died or ‘’Doctor Luther would not be so sorrowful’’. That did the magic; as Luther snapped back to life. The Bible does not condemn humour but frowns at obscenities and profanities. Christians who are comfortable when indecency is churned out in the name of humour need to re-examine themselves. If humour opens the gate of knowledge or lift someone’s spirits without being blasphemous, it is welcome.