If you can’t stand pranks, jokes, and “gotcha” moments, this is not your day. In fact, you might want to just stay home and avoid contact with anyone. While you’re at it, don’t turn on the television, answer the phone, or read the newspaper. This is a day that panics the paranoid, harasses the humorless, and is a strain on the stuffy and stodgy. This is April Fool’s Day.
The origins of this day are shrouded in mystery. Many theories exist. The most popular one revolves around our calendar. Snopes.com reports, “When the western world employed the Julian calendar, years began on March 25. Festivals marking the start of the New Year were celebrated on the first day of April because March 25 fell during Holy Week. The adoption of the Gregorian calendar during the 1500s moved the New Year to January 1. According to the most widely-believed origin postulated for April Fools’ Day, those who could be tricked into believing April 1 was still the proper day to celebrate the New Year earned the sobriquet of April fools. To this end, French peasants would unexpectedly drop in on neighbors on that day in an effort to confuse them into thinking they were receiving a New Year’s call. Out of that one jape supposedly grew the tradition of testing the patience of family and friends.
“But that’s only one theory. Others are:
- The timing of this day of pranks seems to be related to the arrival of spring, when nature “fools” mankind with fickle weather, according to the Encyclopedia of Religion and the Encyclopedia Britannica…
- Others theorize it may have something to do with the Vernal Equinox.
- Some think to tie in with the Romans’ end-of-winter celebration, Hilaria, and the end of the Celtic new year festival…
“In Scotland, an April fool is called an April “gowk” — Scottish for cuckoo, an emblem of simpletons. In England, a fool is called a gob, gawby or gobby. In France, the victim of a
hoax is called a “poisson d’avril,” an April fish. (“April fish” refers to a young fish, thus one easily caught.) The French delight in shouting “Poisson d’Avril!” at the denouement of the foolery. Some also insist all such pranks include a fish or at least a vague reference to same within the joke. Asking someone during a phone conversation to hold the line, then later returning to the call and inquiring of the victim if there’d been any bites is a popular groaner. So are pranks which trick the victim into placing calls to fish shops or the local aquarium.”1
We can debate all day whether a sense of humor is beneath our Christian calling or if Ephesians 5:3-4 prohibits the child of God from telling a funny story. However, I want to focus on something entirely different. We don’t use the word “fool” in a Biblical sense. If we did, no Christian would want to participate in any tomfoolery. In fact, they couldn’t.
Psalms 14:1-3 says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (2) The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. (3) They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” David repeated these words almost verbatim in Psalm 53.
To hear someone declare that there is no God causes me to shudder. While the person declaring this may be wealthy beyond their wildest dreams, have an education with multiple doctorates, and be established as a pillar in the community, they are described by God as a fool.
Proverbs 18:2, 6-7 says, “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. (3) When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach…(6) A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. (7) A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”
Witnessing to a fool is nearly pointless. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” Yes, the fool needs to hear the Gospel but to press the matter is to invite the response Jesus warned about in Matthew 7:6. “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
There are many fools who came to faith in Jesus. Some of the most famous are: British lawyer Albert Henry Ross, American physician-geneticist Dr. Francis Collins, investigative journalist Lee Strobel, MIT professor Dr. Rosalind Picard, Harvard Law school founder Simon Greenleaf, just to name a few. I share these names just to highlight the fact that being a fool does not equal being ignorant. These are just a few of the highly credentialed and intelligent individuals who examined the claims of Christ academically and came to the conclusion that God does exist and there is a Savior named Jesus Christ who must be accepted and received for salvation.
These former fools were not browbeat or strong armed into the kingdom of God. Instead, they were gently and lovingly led over the course of years to consider the claims of Christ. As they did this, the Lord opened their hearts and showed them the truth.
Let April Fool’s Day be a reminder to love a fool and to pray for them that the Lord might open their eyes and that they would be willing to accept the truth. Remember that Proverbs 12:15 tells us that “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”
1https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/april-fools39-day-origins/
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