I like to consider myself the Queen of Witty Comebacks. Nothing makes me smile more than a snappy one-liner. They rarely come to mind when I need them most, but when they do, they are epic. Well, I'd like to think that they are. See, I'm also the Queen of Ridiculous Cringe-Worthy Puns as well. You just have to know me to really appreciate them.
Unfortunately, the "Whoa burn!" effect of sarcasm slicing bone contradicts everything I know about the Christian duty to respond to criticism with grace. But God has a sense of humor, right? To what extent can a person have a sarcastic sense of humor before they turn vicious?
Perhaps it depends on the situation. While in jest with close friends, I'm not so sensitive about how biting my comebacks might be. If you're my friend, you know not to take my sarcasm seriously. I know when I need to be serious and give encouragement, and keep my snappiness to myself (most of the time). But in the case of anonymous critics, like the ones I've had the pleasure of reading on all my Stater stuff, it's really tempting to take the cute-sy, Taylor Swift approach and chant "Someday I'll be living in a big old city/And all you're ever gonna be is mean/Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me/And all you're ever gonna be is mean" (and then conclude with a hard-hitting, albeit slightly immature "Now put that in your juice box and suck it!").
But, no. I have built a reputation that has lead some people to think I hold myself to a higher moral brackett than the rest of the population (I'm certainly guilty of having pride, but I definitely haven't gone *that* far). And I do believe in loving others as you love yourself, no matter how much they irritate you. I can't honestly call myself a Christian if I take the snappy way out all the time. I must be patient, I must exemplify grace...but you know, most of the time, it's not only difficult...it's just not funny!
So for my last column, I am debating whether I should be humorous and exit with something like "Well guys, this sure has been interesting. I'd like to personally thank everyone who hurt my feelings because you made me a stronger person..." (ad nauseum). Or maybe I should skip all that and do a reflective piece on what an interesting journey college has been. I might just go with that. I've caused enough controversy for two semesters, I think.
Still, I am curious about how to reconcile being like Jesus and being a deeply sarcastic person. I've had this discussion before with people, and I think it just depends on the situation. I come from a bitterly sarcastic family, I don't know how to express myself in any other way. Hopefully at this point in my life, I have learned when it's appropriate, and when I need to bite my tongue and tell my mind to shut itself. I am also the all-too-frequent Queen of Foot-in-Mouth Disease. :)
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