A few days ago, a friend gave me the gift of good news: his wife left her cell phone and her purse in Central Park, and a stranger returned them. I have been enjoying that joy, and I have been looking everywhere every day, as often as I remember, for more joy. Whenever and wherever I find it, I want to say thank-You, and I want to celebrate. This will take practice. It will not come naturally to me amidst the horror and heartbreak of wars and hatreds and flags at half-mast. If I am not careful, those things creep into my mind and heart like a toxic, disorienting fog which makes evil look solid and joy look flimsy. But joy is not a flimsy thing. It is strong and solid and deep enough to hold and to heal every breaking heart.
“People who have come to know the joy of God do not deny the darkness, but they choose not to live in it. They claim that the light that shines in the darkness can be trusted more than the darkness itself and that a little bit of light can dispel a lot of darkness. They point each other to flashes of light here and there, and remind each other that they reveal the hidden but real presence of God.” Henri Nouwen
“Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. . . .” 2 Corinthians 6:10