Have yourself a merry little Christ-mas Ep2/Joy to the world!

This is part of a 4-part series "Have yourself a merry little Christ-mas" leading up to Advent.

I was browsing the self-help section of the bookstore recently and unsurprisingly, there were many books on "Happiness" - each volume promised to guide me on the road to bliss and the discovery of this elusive emotion - so fleeting, yet something that everyone was looking for. I hardly saw any books on "joy" and I wondered why. I delved a little deeper into the psychology of it and discovered that happiness is tied to external circumstances and changes depending on the presence of certain conditions. Happiness seems to be momentary and can vanish at a moment's notice. It reminded me of the "trigger happy" emotions I experienced when something went well or I received a piece of good news.

Happiness does not seem to occupy the same space, therefore with the not so rosy parts of our lives, of the brokenness, the mundane and the struggle. Joy on the other hand, seemed to be intrinsic and free of the control of external circumstances. I did a quick Google search of "joy Bible verse" and came across this particular verse

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. - Nehemiah 8:10

What struck me was how joy coexists with struggle, with weakness. And the joy that Nehemiah references is one that comes from the indwelling God Himself, who is our source of strength. This joy is not something that comes and goes or can be "manufactured". It has nothing to do with how many Instagram followers we have, whether we have the biggest house, whether we have the most amazing fiance - it has little to do with these circumstances. In fact, joy is fully experienced in the midst of the storm! It is little wonder that James says:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

How strange isn't it? Joy comes with endurance of the trials we find difficult to address in life. We often think that the absence of struggle, the absence of trial and difficulty are what joy means. Yet, James seems to think that it is BECAUSE of these trials, that we experience true joy, the joy we share by toiling away for our Lord, the joy of being persecuted from all sides. This has been a particularly difficult year for many. Countless people have lost their jobs, their loved ones. So much has been taken away from us and under the definition of happiness - it seems we have nothing to be happy about! We are supposed to be miserable - stuck in our less than ideal circumstances. A Christmas without lights and close family? A Christmas where we cannot gather to share food and drink with friends? It seems our happiness has been sucked out and 2020 has been a "lost" year for us.

Yet, I feel this is one of the most beautiful years I've experienced. In spite of these challenges, we have proven that we can rise up, we can go beyond our own limits. We have donned masks, showed up to work, looked out for our colleagues and family members, made changes to our way of life, adapted to the shifting rules. We have been away from the Blessed Sacrament, attended mass only once a month and been stuck in our countries. I have seen so much beauty in these troubled times - the true meaning of joy. I have seen people work long hours in hospitals, yet crack a gentle smile when they return home. I have seen people stay up late to prepare their lessons on Zoom and send their students encouraging texts well past working hours. In these trials, I think we have rediscovered joy. We have rediscovered what it means to be joyful in adversity and to not allow the circumstance to dictate our perspective.

As we journey towards Christmas, I know it will be a different one. We will rediscover the joy of the Lord Himself as He is born in the lowly stable. When I think about the Nativity story, I realise the simplicity of His beginnings and how the Holy Family experienced deep joy amidst the chaos around them. They lived in equally chaotic times, yet the child in the manger emanated a deep joy. Fittingly, let me end with this verse from John

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you - John 16:22