“Joy is an inherent inner aliveness.” – Richard Rohr
Joy is one of those tricky things to grasp in our complicated world. I often struggle with what joy looks like when all around there is pain, suffering, oppression, wrongful evictions, unsafe working conditions, and the list goes on. So when I came across Richard Rohr’s thoughts on joy, it resonated with me.
He reminds us, that joy is something that comes from within, regardless of what is going on around us. It has nothing to do with anything going right but is instead an inside job. This is because joy is first determined by the enjoyer, not by the object that is enjoyed.
This takes an intentional daily decision to choose joy, to balance hard realities with an ‘inner aliveness’, giving us a perseverent hope and joy.
We believe that Jesus gives us all this ability to have inner joy through all lifes ups and downs. And that He gives us strength in this pursuit of joy.
As we go about our week, through the goods and the bads, let’s choose to live this inner aliveness that joy brings as we strive to be, “The Hand of God, in the Heart of the City.”
Grace & Peace,
Erin
Thank you for sharing with us the ability to have inner joy amidst outer struggle.
Give us the strength to choose that joy daily,
The ability to share that joy with those around us,
And a life of gratitude that reminds us of the aspects of joy.Amen