The Antidote to Sorrow
Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer
The trap is exquisitely complicated with most of the parts delivered by the famous Acme Corporation. The coyote, on a promontory of rock overlooking a desert road, is ready to spring the trap. He looks up and down the road in search of the tell-tale plume of dust created by the fast-moving roadrunner. And yet another disastrous end to a wonderful plan unfolds as Wile E. Coyote fails to catch the Road Runner and falls from the cliff instead…“Beep, Beep!”
Almost anyone who has watched cartoons on TV is familiar with Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. First introduced in theaters in 1949 as short films run as part of a movie program, these characters became some of the best loved (and hated) in the entertainment industry.[1] Their popularity continues today with easy availability on TV and through streaming services. But what is at the heart of the long-running franchise’s popularity?
A large part of the humor of the cartoon is the use of slapstick comedy. But, unlike The Three Stooges slapstick, another staple of Saturday morning programming, Wile E. Coyote deserves his inevitable downfall. For me, that is part of the series’ appeal.
Another aspect of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner that needs to be examined regarding its popularity is the nature of comedy itself. Wile E. is a sad figure illustrating the idea that insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different, better outcome. As Mark Twain said, “The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow; there is no humor in heaven.”[2] That underlying sense of sorrow is well worth our attention.
Sorrow is a strong word for a strong, and often pervading, set of emotions including grief, sadness, heartbreak, remorse, and regret in response to loss, bereavement, or disappointment.[3] Or “The uneasiness or pain of mind which is produced by the loss of any good[,] or of frustrated hopes of good, or expected loss of happiness; to grieve; to be sad.”[4]
In Psalm 62 King David had cause to be sorrowful. He was surrounded by enemies who plot against him, “Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies” (Ps. 62:4a). They were not always obvious in their threat, “With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse” (Ps. 62:4b). The connivance and treachery that surround the leader of Israel is never negated. Notably, a rebellion was led by the king’s son, Absolam, against him. His heart wrenching cry when David learns of his son’s death indicates how deep his sorrow could be, “The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: ‘O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!’” (II Sam. 18:33).
But sorrow is not the final state of the king’s heart. Psalm 62 is twelve verses long, and eight of them deal primarily, if not wholly, with joy and the reason David experienced it.
Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
…
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
…
One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.” Psalm 62:1-2, 8, 11-12
King David found the resolution to sorrow not in comedy but in reliance on the Lord his God. He could have masked his sorrow, hidden it, nurtured it, allowed it to dictate the rest of his life. He did not. As he put it in Psalm 61:2, “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” No matter the grief, hurt, or disappointment, David sought refuge. The avenue to that refuge was through prayer, “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer” (Ps. 61:1).
It is not a bad thing to laugh at Wile E. Coyote when he gets his just desserts. In fact, laughter is scientifically proven to be good medicine. While there is much written on the value of laughter, I’ll share just one quote from the Mayo Clinic, “Whether you’re guffawing at a sitcom on TV or quietly giggling at a newspaper cartoon, laughing does you good. Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that’s no joke.”[5] But dealing with the world’s problems and our sorrow can and should go further…into seeking refuge in prayer. So, when the sorrows of this world become too great, when your heart breaks, when so many people seem to oppose you either openly or covertly, when you just can’t deal with another disappointment it’s time to go beyond comedy and find refuge for your soul as you pour out your heart to El Shama, the God who hears, in your prayers!
Reflection Questions:
1. Have you watched Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner? Provided you found it amusing, why? Are there other comedies you enjoy?
2. Do you think King David faced more opposition than other rulers? How did his response differ from most? Can you identify with him as you face troubles in your life?
3. How can you use the deep truths in Psalm 62 to comfort and encourage others? What would you tell someone about prayer based on this Psalm? Do you have any personal experiences to illustrate the usefulness of praying Psalm 62?
(Photo description and credit: This mesa in Arizona looks like a good place for Wile E. Coyote to spy on the Road Runner. Credit: I took this shot from a moving car on a family vacation in 2017.)
[1] Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner – Wikipedia. Note on (and hated), Wile E. was included in TV Guide’s 2013 list of “The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.”
[2] Quote from Good Reads. To amplify the second part of the quoted sentence read Revelation 21:3-4.
[3] SORROW Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster
