Baptism, Cake, Jesus, and Ariel

Brittany with her baptismal cake!

            This past Sunday was my friend’s baptism.  Brittany (my friend) is an incredible human being and a Godly woman.  I am honored that I was able to witness her baptism at Christ Chapel last Sunday.  Now, I know what you’re thinking: How on Earth is a baptism funny?  Just trust me on this one.

            To understand why I thought Brittany’s baptism were funny I think it’s important to know a little bit about Brittany.  Brittany is a junior Fashion Design and Merchandising major with a Spanish minor from Cornado, California.  I first met Brittany when she was an Orientation Student Assistant the summer going into my freshmen year.  Since then, Brittany and I have become extremely close, especially since we are both resident assistants in Colby Hall.  Furthermore, Brittany has a fantastic sense of humor.  That girl can find the humor in anything, and she always does.

            To bring you up to current speed, though, the reason that I thought her baptism was funny was because of her baptismal cake.  First and foremost, I did not know that people celebrated baptisms with cake – talk about a cognitive shift!  However, it was what was on the cake that really made me laugh.

            Perched upon a square vanilla cake with white icing were a doll of Jesus (that’s fitting) and a doll of Ariel (from The Little Mermaid).  And, if that is not a cognitive shift, then I seriously don’t know what is!  I’d like to disclose that Brittany loves mermaids, and she loves Ariel.  This is in part due to her vibrant red hair and her love of the ocean.  In fact, she wears jewelry with starfish and seashells to make her appear more like a mermaid, but that’s beside the point.

            I think the placement of Jesus and Ariel is a great example of the Incongruity Theory. Let’s be honest; that’s not something that you would normally expect on cake…at church...for a baptism....  On the left side of the cake, you have this holy and worldly figure, but as you glance over to your right, you see a famous Disney princess.  Nevertheless, upon seeing this extraordinary cake, I laughed (and I took a picture…I could not miss out on that opportunity!).

            Another aspect of this situation that facilitated humor was that the laughter was social and collective.  I was able to experience this with a lot of friends.  Their laughter, in turn, made me laugh even more.  I will admit, however, that I still would have laughed at this image even if I was by myself.

            Moreover, I think the cake also demonstrates part of the Relief Theory.  A baptism – for most – is quite a serious thing.  Hearing her testimony, singing worship songs, and then actually witnessing the baptism were all powerful and touching.  By having a Jesus and Ariel cake to top it all off (pun intended), it put more people at ease, and we were able to celebrate, which – of course – was fun!

            All in all, witnessing Brittany get baptized was a great experience.  I know this is an event that she will never forget, and neither will I.  The best part about it was how real and true to Brittany the entire process was.  The Jesus and Ariel cake made the atmosphere more humorous and light-hearted.  Not to mention, most everyone there got quite a few laughs in.  Well done, Brittany (and Jesus and Ariel), well done.