A man suffering from chronic depression once visited the famous English physician Doctor John Abernethy, who prescribed a visit to the London playhouse to hear the comedian Grimaldi: ‘He’ll do you more good than any drugs,’ he said. The patient then said: ‘I am Grimaldi.’
Joseph Grimaldi was the most popular entertainer of the Regency era. It was he who created the famous white-faced harlequin clown named ‘Joey’, who still features in clown performances today. He was also the person who introduced the world to the concept of the broken-hearted clown who makes everyone happy while he himself inwardly weeps.
Many of us are like that. That’s why it’s so good to remember Jesus’ great promise of a coming day when ‘God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.’