#142: Advent: Joy

Joy is at the heart of Christ. And yet, joy is the noun I struggle with most. Joy causes a hitch in my throat that says, “But wait; what about all the hurt and sadness and violence?”

Joy feels irrelevant or off-key or out of step in a world where:

Human trafficking and slavery exist
Women in the workplace face a wage disparity
Racism flourishes
Without provocation, one country attacks another country, and the world condemns with words, sends money, but doesn’t intervene.

Joy feels like stand-up comedy at a funeral. And yet, despite all our hang-ups about joy, joy is inextricably tied to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Key Quotes

“We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘God cares more about your character than your happiness,’ as if an infinite God doesn’t have the capacity to care about both simultaneously. – Jill E. McCormick
“Perhaps joy is so hard for us to receive and understand because it is what Jesus wants for us, AND what our enemy works hardest to steal. ” – Jill E. McCormick
“Joy is defiant resistance.” – Jill E. McCormick
“Joy is the rebellious act of remembering that God is with us – even here – in the presence of pain and the desperation of suffering.” – Jill E. McCormick
“Joy is Jesus. And joy has come.” – Jill E. McCormick