Joy

"The universe if not a random assortment of atoms and fiery globes spinning and whirling in empty space to their destruction. Rather it is a symphony of rhythm and harmony that expresses the pleasure of its Creator. Divine joy was and is the primal reason for its existence. And, one might add, for ours also." - Sherwood Wirt

Reading about Francis' life is a lot like stepping onto a rollercoaster in an American theme park. His passionate and sometimes impulsive emotional life was full of lofty peaks as well as deep, dark valleys. Francis could be inspired to heights of inexpressible joy by the sight of a single butterfly, the scent of a flower, or overcome by a single note of gentle music from a lute. Of course, he could also experience great sorrow. But, he firmly believed that God, who created us with a vibrant set of emotions, wanted us to let those emotions be a part of how we experience life. One thing is sure: his life was not bland.

Gee, it sounds like my life - a rollercoaster, mixed moods (often at the same time), topsy-turvy days. I can stand in complete awe of a moment in my garden, especially on those days when all of the plants appear to have received enough water and sunlight in the right proportions. But, I can weep at the silliest sentimental moments in a daytime movie.

If Francis were to show up with his messy bundle of emotions at a church in modern America, I'm sure the ushers would attempt to show him the door. I experienced similar reactions a few years ago to the street people in Washington, DC, when one or two would wander into our Sunday services, stand in the back of the room, and someone would gently try to persuade them to leave, explaining that the services were "private." What a horrible commentary on the death of Christian filial spirit in our day.

Worse still… at least in my mind… were the several street people who would “compete” to be the only one (or two) people who waited outside until our services were over. It appeared that they all knew that we left at approximately the same time each week and, as we filed out of the building, in groups of two or three, were easy marks for a handout. We had one particular “regular” that was there every week asking for money. I was never able to tell him that I had seen him carrying several bags of groceries closer to his home. He was not completely homeless or helpless. It just seems that he took a little joy out of seeing us, greeting us, and asking us for cash. He was always friendly and always there.

Happiness vs Joy

In considering the concept of "Joy" today, I considered that there is a complete difference between what we consider "happiness" and what we consider "joy". Frederick Buechner said it best: "Happiness turns up more or less where you'd expect it to - a good marriage, a rewarding job, a pleasant vacation. Joy, on the other hand, is as notoriously unpredictable as the one who bequeaths it."

Francis turned his back on earthly pleasures and worldly wealth to pursue a life of simplicity, poverty, and self-denial. But, at the same time, he became a connoisseur of the arts - a man who enjoyed and worshipped every facet of his daily life. No - there's no real contradiction here. Francis made it completely clear that his experience of joy was a direct result of his walking away from the things in life that steal our joy. He knew the difference between a fleeting and superficial moment of happiness and a deep and abiding joy.

All of us go through moments of torment and suffering. There's no escape from our basic humanity. Yes, those TV self-help gurus tell us we can overcome almost anything by having the right mental attitude. A flood of advertising makes it sound as if happiness and perfect peace can come from purchasing the right shampoo, the right ingredients on our pizza, and the right car/dress/tie/cologne. But, those don't happen when we are confronted by our own humanity and the turmoils of day-to-day life on this planet. Francis, though, showed us that the event is not important; what's important is the way we handle or approach the event.

Indeed, Francis taught us a valuable lesson in his own dying. As he approached death, he grew weaker. But, instead of struggling against the reality, Francis offered God a passionate and humble prayer of submission to God's will. The next morning, when he awoke, he was burning with an active imagination with both words and melodies. He used those emotions, words, and melodies to compose what has come down to us as the Canticle of the Sun - a sublime work of devotion to God and deep respect for creation.

I guess what I've discovered in my own life (and confirmed today while contemplating Joy) - that we cannot experience profound joy as long as we "settle" for skin-deep entertainments or seek protection in illusory safety from tragedy. Instead, we need to look for a godly perspective that will allow us to distinguish between the fleeting and the eternal, the shallow and the deep.

Interestingly, it is often organized religion that creates the most confusion. What is the reason that some "religious" people think God is some sort of cosmic killjoy? Why should sanctity lead to solemnity? Why do so many hymns sound like funeral dirges? Many folks seem to be intent on making God in their own image - cautious and emotionally crippled - forgetting the clear fact that we are made in God's image!

They couldn't get that idea from God. God's emotions are clear: He is gentle, at one moment, with a repentant sinner, and, in the next, angry with a wayward world. God rejoiced as He created the universe. Jesus himself chose as his first miracle the creation of wine for a wedding feast! He openly wept at the death of his friend Lazarus and later cast the moneychangers from the temple. Emotions or passion are not alien to our experience of God and His Son. Each of these teach us that passion, and more importantly Joy, is essential. We were given feelings, emotions, passions through which we can experience more of life and everything in creation more fully.

"Jesus said not: thou shalt not be troubled, thou shalt not be tempted, though shalt not be distressed. But he said: thou shalt not be overcome." - Julian of Norwich

Joy, then, is essential to surviving and thriving in a world full of darkness and bad news. We should not deny reality and sadness. We should not try to convince ourselves that bad is good and that sadness is really joy. We should not run from reality. If we give in to depression, we can become cynical and skeptical, using some sort of perverse filter to block out God's healing love.

How, then, do I promote Joy in my life?

My concept of "original sin" is not built on the simple story of Adam and Eve. "Original sin" is not called original out of some aspect of creativity. It was just the first sin recorded. The key concept in the story is not the disobedience of Eve, but, more importantly, the idea that we, as humans, can attempt to outsmart God or hide ourselves from His presence/knowledge. I think that we still hang onto the belief that we can outsmart God by insisting that we can somehow control our lives and the outcome of our day-to-day existence with no acknowledgement of any higher power or supreme authority. That is a very strong barrier to our experience of Joy.

Trying to control my own life and "manufacture" some sort of happiness has lead to all sorts of frustration, sadness, and anger. It has affected not only my own life... but also the lives of my children, their mother, and my extended family.

Joy, though, comes from abandoning ourselves into the Hands of God. Ironically, this submission doesn't result in some defeatist, pessimistic life that is separated from the rhythms of life. Instead... it connects us to life in a far deeper and more passionate state.

How do I submit to God's control of my life?

Be present - Not worrying about tomorrow is difficult for us. The Jesuit writer Jean Pierre DeCoussaid described this kind of attention to the "here and now" as the "sacrament of the present moment". This doesn't mean I cannot make plans for tomorrow or have hopes for the future. It does mean, though, that too much preoccupation about the future - or even being too consumed with the past - keeps us from concentrating on the beauty of the moment and the promise of the present.

Be thankful - (1) Starting each day with a prayer of thankfulness and a dedication of the day to God's glory and (2) ending the day with a prayer of thankfulness for the blessings of the day - will allow me to ensure that God is thanked for anchoring both ends of my day. The events in between rising and going to bed will be left to God's control and "experienced" in the moment.

Be forgiving - Many of us walk around with a dark cloud (that we create ourselves) that consists of our regrets over personal failures or our unfaithfulness to ourselves or others. Another part of that same cloud consists of emotional baggage and bondage that we bring on ourselves when we fail to forgive ourselves or, sometimes more importantly, others. Failing to forgive ourselves and others is an illusory attempt to continue that silly notion of control over our lives, but it leads us to a state of victimization. Worse, we are victims of our own thoughts.

We spend so much of our lives in unworthy pursuits suffering the consequences of sadness, sorrow, and suffering. Instead of setting out on an impossible quest for "happiness", we need to seek real "joy" - leading to a more fulfilling, enriched, and emotionally rewarding way of life.