Holy joy

“Joy is a protest.” I wrote those words on a sticky note a while ago and posted it in the center of my bathroom mirror. I put it there to remind me that even when things look bleak, spiritual joy is an active, unstoppable healing power.

Then some tragic things happened: a mass shooting in my state and more reports of inhumane deprivation in war zones. Who can be cheerful in the midst of human suffering? I wanted to rip the note off the mirror and stuff it in the trash.

But after a while, I realized that this was the exact right time for staying the course and practicing true, holy joy­ – joy derived from Soul, God.

Infinitely tender, this joy is so much more than a humanly generated state of personal cheer. Soul-joy involves the deep conviction that good is supreme and at hand. This kind of God-sourced conviction is rooted in the understanding that man is divinely created, entirely spiritual, innocent, unharmed, complete, and safe.

Soul-joy, then, is wholly able to affirm this radical spiritual fact proclaimed in the Christian Science textbook: “Evil is not supreme; good is not helpless; nor are the so-called laws of matter primary, and the law of Spirit secondary” (Mary Baker Eddy, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 207).

God-sourced joy is constant. It reflects the pure light of Truth. And it’s often accompanied by angel messages from God that soundlessly and compassionately go about repairing broken hearts and healing minds and bodies. There’s not one news report that can get under its skin, not one anxious thought, threatening storm, or terror that can shake it. Soul, being infinitely intelligent and all-knowing, lifts each call for help far above human strife into “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7, New King James Version).

As a spiritual quality, joy is indispensable in protesting what Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, called “the ghastly farce of material existence” (Science and Health, p. 272) and affirming what Christ Jesus taught – the spiritual Truth that makes us free. This changes our standpoint and thus our perceptions.

One day some years ago, I wasn’t feeling very joyful. It was a bleak winter day, and someone dear to me was in trouble. I couldn’t focus on anything else. Fear was like a ferocious tiger camped in my living room. Everything seemed overwhelming, sad, and desperate.

Then I found myself starting to quietly sing. It was a soft, unbidden melody, and I didn’t recognize it at first. But a little later I remembered a verse to the hymn:

The light of Truth to us display,
That we may know and choose Thy way;
Plant holy joy in every heart,
That we from Thee may ne’er depart.
(Simon Browne, “Christian Science Hymnal,” No. 39, © CSBD)

It was exactly the message I needed: holy joy.

As I prayed with that hymn, I felt the power of holy joy taking root in my heart and mind. I called it my holy joy tree. For weeks afterward, every time the fear came up, I faced it down with the power of that unshakable holy joy. Over the next few weeks, this work yielded the fruits of spiritual sense – the opposite of material belief – confidence, comfort, and light. The debilitating fear gave way to peace. As Soul-joy prevailed, the desperation dissipated. And my dear one was safe.

Joy is not for the faint of heart. In fact, practicing holy joy is one of the strongest things we can do. Joy is a powerful, ongoing affirmation of good that is especially needed when things get rugged. Claiming it more recently, I felt a significant shift toward the healing of a protracted health problem that I eventually experienced.

I love thinking of joy as what it really is: our built-in resilience. Soul-joy heals our grief. It lifts desperation off our concept of ourselves and others, resists polarization, and unifies. It banishes heaviness and melts the mist of mental fog and illness. It is an active agent in healing limited, material beliefs, including sickness and sin. Moreover, Soul-joy is a tireless Truth-witness.

And here’s another thing I’m learning: Joy and gratitude are best friends. They walk in total safety together through dark places of fear. I’ve even heard them laughing at storms, confidently riding the fiercest winds with their other trusty companion – courage.

I think I’m going to need a lot more sticky notes.

Adapted from an article published on sentinel.christianscience.com, Jan. 18, 2024.