This week I have been reading.
Some weeks I read more than others, this week there has been a high dose input of words. I read a novel by Kurt Vonnegut, one of those that I’d not gotten to before. I read a chunk of articles discussing the social imaginary of the founders of the US. And I read a significant bit about the theories of the atonement of Christ. That last bit was a sermon research rabbit hole that just got me going.
When I was reading about the founders, I almost posted on twitter that “The founders believed that private liberty was to serve the purpose of public virtue.” It’s a thing they really did believe. And something I think that we have mostly lost. I didn’t post it, because I know the sort of backlash that a something like that might receive in an era like ours.
There’s this anecdote about Ben Franklin saying that he and his founder friends had given us a “Republic, if you can keep it.” I always think of that anecdote when I see what that republic has become. Some people don’t think I’m a fan of the founders. I actually am a pretty huge fan, I just think that they honored something they called “public virtue” a whole heck of a lot more than most people do these days.
But none of that is what I really feel like writing about. I think what I want to write about today is joy.
Seriously, I know that sounds lame. But I have been doing this research on the subject. Again, this gets back to sermon research. It’s kinda weird how much I need to think about stuff during the week before I’m ready to talk about it on Sunday, but Joy is certainly one of those things.
My family is trying to figure out how to move forward in a healthy way in the midst of our oldest having regular drug induced psychotic states. Personally, I am trying to figure out how to move forward in a society that values individual expression above corporate responsibility. And we are all just trying to get through the days. (see my previous post for a more detailed outline of my thought process on that whole thing)….
And I honestly don’t think I’m alone in wanting to cuss about just how hard things can be sometimes.
Seriously, you’re with me right? Things can be hard sometimes.
And then there’s this thing called Joy. To be honest, C.S. Lewis is my go to writer on the subject. The guy who invented Narnia lost his wife to cancer. And after such a terrible loss he wrote about the subject of Joy.
He always made it a point to articulate as best anyone can that Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is something that comes and goes with the hours and days. Joy is a thing that we have regardless of our life’s circumstances.
He said Joy was a choice.
I think it’s important in the very least to know that. Yep, no doubt, things can be hard sometimes. I have friends trying to run businesses with little help right now. I have friends who are wrestling with difficult health situations right now. I have friends who are even dealing with marital struggles because – well things can be hard sometimes.
I know I am not alone with difficult family stuff. I know there are several billion other people on the planet that wish they had it only as bad as I do.
And I know that Jesus cares about me.
I know this seems silly, but there’s this repeated line in the TV show Mad Men that strikes me. Peggy said this line, then Pete, and I’m pretty sure they said it back and forth a few times in moments when the absurd struck. They said with wonder:
“A thing like that”
It’s a bit of an odd phrase. And when you hear it it sounds so obviously rooted in the era when the TV show takes place. But it’s the only way I know to emotionally respond to such a stunning reality. Jesus cares about me! wow, a thing like that!
Maybe this is what Joy is. Somehow in the midst of all the stuff that makes you want to cuss, you have a realization that the king of all creation cares about you.
A thing like that.
