In our world that has become so heavily imbalanced towards ideas like economic growth, efficiency, and hard work, joy is often neglected as something frivolous or superfluous, at best icing on the cake of life. But what marginalized communities know deep down from experience is that joy is far a ‘bonus’. It’s actually at the centre of things. It is a key component of resistance, community building, and formation. Whether it’s persecuted Christians celebrating Easter, Black folk coming together for a cook out (or as the wonderful short story collection Black Boy Joy would remind us, simply being themselves in all their uniqueness), or queer people coming together for Pride to express who they are without reservation, joy is an incredible source of strength, especially when times are tough. And that’s why, in these apocalyptic — that is, revelatory, unmasking, and sad — times, we need apocalyptic — that is, unlikely, tenacious, creative, and unapologetic — joy, to go along with our apocalyptic hope, peace, and love.
Once again, we see just this kind of joy at work in today’s Old Testament reading from Isaiah. Now writing from the depths of the Exile, the prophet expounds a vision for the day when it will end and God’s people will be restored:
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35.1-10)
Just look at how joy pervades this oracle! The whole earth joins in with God’s people, newly freed and protected from those who would harm them, in celebration. This is the kind of anticipatory joy that can save our hearts, minds, and souls.
We see another glimpse of it in today’s Gospel reading. The movement surrounding John the Baptist is in crisis following his arrest for standing up to the political authorities, and everyone is feeling depressed and demoralized. So John sends enjoys to Jesus to ask him: “Are you the one who is to come?” Jesus answers:
Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me. (Matthew 11.3-4)
In other words, look at how much joy there is!
Again, in these faithless times, such a response could be sneered at as being pollyanna and naive. But I don’t think it is. Yes, the problems still abounded in Jesus’ day: God’s people were still under the thumb of a foreign empire, sold out by their own kings; the religious leadership continued to be divided and backbiting; and those who dared to speak up on behalf of the poor and marginalized, like John, were rounded up as trouble-makers and insurrectionists — as Jesus himself would be. But none of that could erase what God was doing in their midst.
Celebration is not naive. Celebration plants the flag and says: “Even in the midst of all this, this is who we are and God is with us!” Celebration expresses the reality that things can be other than they are. Celebration is not a rejection of the hard work before us; it’s the breath of clean and fresh air that empowers us to do it.
And so, as we enter into the last ten days of Advent and prepare our own celebrations with family and friends, engage with our own traditions — whether that’s baking gingerbread houses, going skating, or curling up to watch movies celebrating wonder and joy — may we remember that none of this is empty or pointless. JOY IS THE POINT. Joy can save us all. And in this season, the focus of that celebration and joy reaches its climax in our commemoration of the birth of the child known as Emmanuel, ‘God is with us,’ and Jesus, ‘The LORD saves.’
God of power and mercy, you call us once again to celebrate the coming of your Son.
Remove those things which hinder love of you,
that when he comes, he may find us waiting in awe and wonder for him.
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Matthew Root 