A Word from Laura: Hard Won Joy
This Sunday we (thanks to the Boon Carbonell family!) light the Joy Advent candle. In this year when grief and loss blanket our church and world, in this week after Asbury UMC and Metropolitan AME Churches have been targets of racial violence, joy seems a hard-won commodity.
And yet this week has brought joy…
Some in the face of harm that must not be forgotten, as in Rev. William Lamar’s piece in response to the violence his church faced, calling for a new divine narrative of humans thriving together, sharing the abundance of land and labor
Some in the face of great sacrifice, as in the story of Sandra Lindsay, the first New York critical care nurse to receive the vaccine, who lost family members to COVID-19, describing the challenges her unit has faced this year and working to get out the message about vaccines
Some in the light of “it’s about time”, as in the release of mainstream Christmas media featuring gay couples – from Hallmark movies to Wednesday’s Family Circus cartoon!
Someone must have known that by making “joy” the last Advent candle, it would come nearest the winter solstice, bringing light to the northern hemisphere’s darkest days. They wanted us to know that joy breaks through, not so much because of who we are or what we see on the surface, but because of who God is and what God can do in the darkness.
And some joy breaking through this week among us…
Joy in Amy DeLouise’s voice talking about the upcoming pageant (haven’t seen it, but I can’t wait!)
Joy as Ava Gutshall stepped up to take on a video/photo project during the last week of her semester (“Oh, sure, that will be easy,” she said.)
Joy as Becky Koenig and Luke Stauffer (the first day of finals!) put together a grant application for what we hope might continue in campus ministry;
Joy as our Connectors worked on a project to share joy with the rest of the church for Christmas Eve (many thanks!)
Joy as Nancy, Sterling, Allan, Shenella, Phil, Irene and Ana shared their own plans for Christmas.
It’s not an easy Advent/Christmas season. We need joy every year, but this year more than ever. It won’t be an easy joy, but it’s there for you and for those who long to see.
May you know the blessings of hard-won joy, this Christmas and always,
Laura