Monday, Lafayette, Indiana

The joke below was sent in by reader Leo F, who asked Dr. Will to analyze the meaning of the joke.
Here is the entry:

A Nun runs out of gas on the way to the hospital where she worked as a nurse. She sees a gas station up ahead but does not have a gas can. She improvises by using a bedpan she has in her car. She returns and begins filling the gas tank using the bedpan. Two guys are watching from across the street and one says, “if that car starts, I am becoming a Catholic!”

Why We Laugh

The joke’s effect is based on the confusion between an ordinary human act - a woman using her creativity by filling her gas tank with a hospital bedpan - and another person misinterpreting the meaning of the act. This misunderstanding forms the basis of the joke.

The Meaning & the Inner Sadness

The experience described in the story means little to the nun beyond the nuisance and inconvenience of running out of gas. But for the man observing from across the street it is loaded with existential significance. He evidently believes that the nun is filling her tank with urine, and that she evidently believes the engine will operate. This incongruous scenario means that this man is, pathetically, seeking a miraculous sign to convince him to believe in the existence of God. He stands ready to be persuaded by any clear indication that there is a power beyond nature. What a revealing commentary on the sadness of his life.

What about you?

Does the foundation of this joke resonate with you? Are you always looking for a sign that there is a higher power that can rescue you from your despair? Are you like the desperate man, always on the lookout for a sign? Are you so frantic for hope that you will latch onto any possible indicator that life is ore than you are feeling right now? While this joke makes you laugh, it is obviously profoundly sad.