If happiness is lavender, then joy has to be purple. Why purple? Because you make purple out of red and blue. Love and sorrow. Joy lives at that intersection of heartbreak and ecstasy. Joy doesn’t live alone; she has four roommates, faith, hope, wonder and gratitude. They need one another. Each leads to the other. Scripture tells us joy is: a gift, an incentive, a companion, a response and a reward. So joy is in us, for us, with us and will come through us. As we make our way to joy, joy is making its way toward us. Joy is our present and our future. A dollop of God’s tomorrow, today. A hint at our future constant state — and our confident assurance. Joy is more than an emotion; it’s the currency of the soul. It comes with a faithful act or with grace underserved. It comes with the new or with the tried and true. Joy is bigger than religion or spirituality. It visits the church, but it doesn’t belong to the church. You can’t earn it, but it will give you a ride — you can’t control joy. Joy is not ashamed to be joy. It’s understood in every language. Joy doesn’t require perfection, but it delights in growth.
5 Lenten Questions with Bishop Rob Wright
Join Bishop Wright in a 5-part video series to help guide us during this season of sacrifice and self-examination.