By Sarah Callahan
Gray Space Graces
Joy. What is joy, really? Is it maintaining a naïve optimism in the face of sorrow or injustice? Is it a fleeting feeling of happiness? Is it taking pleasure in temporary things?
Merriam-Webster defines joy as “a feeling of great pleasure or happiness that comes from success, good fortune, or a sense of well-being.” Yet, this definition of joy is conditional and incomplete. It employs the reasoning, “if I have success or am doing well in the moment, only then I can feel joy.”
I’d like to propose an alternative. Rather than simply being content when things are going well, joy is a rootedness in the God who delights — no matter what. Joy is subversive in moments of uncertainty, fear, injustice and cruelty. Joy is not a denial of the evil in our world, but it is looking that evil in the face for all that it is and saying, “You will not break my spirit.” Joy is courageous. It is bold and it is a sign of God at work in the world.
Joy is deeply intertwined with hope. In the Gospel of John before Jesus is arrested and condemned to death, he is speaking with his disciples. He tells them that he will be going away. They are confused by this. Jesus continues, “I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:22). Jesus will return, but in the meantime, we are not abandoned. We can find Jesus in ourselves, one another and in creation. Jesus has been crucified but we know about the resurrection. We know that even in the most visceral symbol of evil, the crucifixion, there is hope and joy in the truth that Jesus is with us every step of the way — in suffering, in poverty, in corruption.
There are present-day crucifixions happening in our world now. The most vulnerable are taken advantage of. People are treated as inconveniences, rather than with the dignity they deserve. Racism deigns to devalue God’s beloved people. Greed and the desire for wealth drive those in power to disenfranchise those for whom they are responsible for caring. Our earth is crying out, begging for us to cease participating in its destruction. Despite all of this, we are called to live in joy as we work for the betterment of these injustices. We can root ourselves in the firm foundation of our ever-present, tender and loving God.
As Christians, we are called to bring God’s joy to the darkest places. To bring God’s joy into the world is to participate in the ministry of presence. This may mean sitting with a friend who is coping with loss, calling the family member you’ve been avoiding or sharing a meal with a family in need. We should never feel guilty for feeling joy, even when the evil we face feels insurmountable. Joy is living life abundantly, when scarcity and fear beckon to us. Again, I assert that joy is courageous. It is bold and it is a sign of God at work in the world.
(Sarah Callahan is social media coordinator for the Diocese of Davenport.)
