Joy is an act of resistance!

I don't know about you, but I often find myself as a victim of "doom scrolling." When scrolling the social media feeds or TikTok, I always seem to find that one piece of bad news. And it's like a loose thread on a knit sweater. I search to find out more about the bad thing that happened and then get distracted by other rabbit trails of bad news. And before long, my whole scrolling algorithm has been screwed up, saturated with climate panic, crime and prejudice, and the latest thing to be outraged about. And to be fair, it's not really possible to take a long break from the dismal news reel. If we have to live in this world, we have to know what's going on in it. But it's more than that. Many people like me are conditioned to only pay attention to the bad news because it's the only news available sometimes. Think about those little surveys you get after a conversation with a customer service phone representative. Most of the time, people will only take the survey if they feel they have been inconvenienced in some way or if their service greatly exceeded expectations. And most of the time, it's the former rather than the latter. The world conditions us to see the defective first and notice the good later, if at all.

Which is why we often need to be reminded to be joyful. But... it's not exactly something you can make yourself feel at a moment's notice, is it? On Sunday, I had a conversation about the 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian. The movie centers on Brian - an ordinary fellow who satirically frequently gets mistaken as a messiah figure. Towards the end of the film, Brian is executed with a number of other rebels against Roman rule. While hanging on a cross, Eric Idle's character reminds Brian to "Always look on the bright side of life" (in the form of a song, I might add). It's really quite comical. It's a moment where Brian has nothing to look forward to other than the release of death. What could there possibly be left in life to enjoy?

But in spite of the absolute ridiculousness of singing with joy in one's last suffering moments, there is a kernel of wisdom. Choosing joy in the midst of pain and suffering is in fact an act of resistance. American Poet Toi Derricotte is credited as putting modern words to this idea, but it exists as a much longer standing psychological idea. When slavery was still a legal part of American society, enslaved people of color found hope and resistance in the message of Christianity. The songs they created, the heroes whose stories they told, and the ways they prayed and worshipped were foundational to cultivating joy in the midst of suffering. And it's a culture that has persisted, even to today. During June, much of the country celebrates pride, not merely as a festival that acknowledges the complexity of human attraction, identity, and expression, but as a time dedicated to joy in response to a world that desires homogeny.

Which leads me to my Pastor's Playlist feature of the week: "Joy." The 15th track listing on RAYE's album This Music May Contain Hope. RAYE is a British singer-songwriter and producer who frequently writes music that engages contemporary issues. I first heard her song "WHERE IS MY HUSBAND?" Certainly catchy and fun! But it's "Joy." that really moved me on her album. Her lyrics "declare and decree" that there will be joy, rebuking the evil and suffering that might be present in her own life. She references Psalm 30:5 throughout the song - "Though sorrow may last the night, joy comes in the morning." Combined with the upbeat melody and joyful lyrics, you can't help but smile.

But joy is more than just the feeling of happiness. Joy is deeper and richer. Joy can be present at the same time as grief or sadness, in fact. Joy is grounded in gratitude and hope. Joy sometimes is that conscious decision that we are going to prove to others and the world that we are fighters in this life, that we have purpose and calling, that our suffering is not permanent. And that seems to me to be a very Christian idea. Paul writes about rejoicing in the midst of suffering in Romans and Colossians. 1 Peter charges believer to rejoice in the sufferings of Christ. Joy in the midst of suffering is transformative. To rejoice in suffering is not to compartmentalize our pain and sadness, but it is a grounding idea that there is still good in the world and hope on the horizon. The moment we lose that joy, sorrow takes hold and we lose sense of our greatest hope.

My hope for you this week is for joy to be an easy thing to choose. That you might find places of gratitude, happiness, and fulfillment whatever your situation might be.

Song: "Joy." from This Music May Contain Hope by RAYE

Listen here: https://youtu.be/taHYtEGxLnw?si=iYErHCfFEooiBPYi

Peace and joy!

-PT