Advent III: Being Present With Joy
Luke 1:41-55; Isaiah 61:1-4; 10
Knowing what Joy is should be simple, and yet it can be really complicated to talk about it. Joy can show up as a feeling of happiness or hope. Joy might be one of things where “we know it when we see it.” As a new dad, I am given a reliable glimpse at joy as my daughter, Zoë, responds to all of the newness around her.
Zoë’s joy, like the universal expression of joy we find in children, is effervescent. I see it when she has a completely unadulterated experience of food she finds tasty. Or when she played and went sledding in the snow for the first time.
I see Zoë’s joy when she goes to daycare and her face splits into a huge grin when she sees her friends and the daycare director. And that reminds me of an important thing about joy, it is vicarious. It’s hard not to be joyful when you witness someone else’s joy!
I think that is an important distinction between joy and happiness. Joy really shines when we aren’t alone. Joy is vicarious and infectious. I think that is why we enjoy sports so much. Émile Durkheim coined a sociological concept called “collective effervescence” which is what happens when “a community or society may at times come together and simultaneously communicate the same thought and participate in the same action. Such an event then causes collective effervescence which excites individuals and serves to unify the group.”
“This impersonal, extra-individual force, which is a core element of religion, transports the individuals into a new, ideal realm, lifts them up outside of themselves, and makes them feel as if they are in contact with an extraordinary energy.” Joy is an extraordinary energy. Durkheim associates this with religion, and I am sure we could think of expressions of religion and faith that look like that.
But I think, in the 21st century, that the easiest place to discover collective effervescence is at sporting events.
And at a deep level, I think there is a fundamental truth about joy, or collective effervescence, or whatever you might want to call it: the electricity of Joy comes to life because we are not alone. And that electricity of joy moves with less resistance between people who all share a sense of belonging.
Being present to Joy this year means being present to where and to whom we belong. And being present to the electricity that can happen when we join together to do our traditions, celebrate milestones, or even share our grief. Joy isn’t limited to happiness—I think joy goes deeper than emotions. Joy can thread through grief, sadness, and depression—especially when we go back to the deep truth of joy: it comes to life when we feel safe in the truth that we are not alone.
This was the joy between Mary and Elizabeth in Luke 1 before Mary launched into her song of justice: Mary and Elizabeth shared the joy of being expectant mothers together. They understood each other’s experiences and could laugh at the shared stories. They could comfort one another with their shared pains.
It was also the joy of the beleaguered Israelites as they returned to their home and their destroyed temple. Isaiah spoke words of comfort to them and reminded them of the good news that was greater than their trials and difficulties. They had been in exile, conquered by the Babylonian empire—but now they were home. There was a lot to do. There was restoration work to be done! Their joy wasn’t just in returning home; it was also in being reunited as a community.
Joy goes deeper than sadness, anger, or fear. And joy is stronger than the worst life can throw at us. Whether this season is hard to bear, or it is the resurrection of “collective effervescence” as you join in the traditions that bring about glee in this season, I pray that you will always know that Joy is near!
And remember, especially if you need help, that you are not alone.*
*If you require help or are in crisis, please don’t hesitate to call Colorado Crisis Services: 844-493-TALK (8255)
