Chaplain's Chat

Discovering Joy

How are you coping with COVID? We seem to have reached a point where fatigue has set in. There is news fatigue so we block what is happening. Restriction/lockdown fatigue is clear as  we long for how life used to be, and our eyes are often the giveaway that Zoom fatigue has set in. 

Finding joy during the fatigue is a challenge. But what if joy is something we can tune in to even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Even more what if we could release joy and have it erupt in the middle of life amongst the complexity of all our other emotions. A helpful practice is sharing our joy discoveries. 

Recently, I went on a quest with students, a thought experiment of sorts, to discover if their ‘playlist’ said anything about how they were searching for joy. It was a very interesting endeavour as I asked students, ‘What is your go to song to bring yourself a smile?’  There were the expected songs and artists that I had never heard of, but were clearly upbeat anthems. But another trend emerged. Some students were actually deliberately choosing to listen to sad songs as a sort of lament. A method employed to understand, process and express their emotions. They spoke of this in the context of joy. Processing difficult emotions to reflect and return to joy. It highlights a significant idea that joy occurs in the mix  of emotions. Not separately, but in an interconnected way.

Teenagers are at a stage when they are discovering and learning ‘social-emotional competency’. Unraveling the white noise of feelings, experiences and emotions in their minds and bodies is something of a skill that needs developing. By sharing and discussing our joy discoveries we develop that competency of understanding ourselves. 

Often in the Bible, people of God find joy first in what God has done for them which then leads to them acting in particular ways leading to more joy. This is a helpful insight because it means that the reality of joy can be there for us no matter what is happening in life. Any time they can dial in to what God has done as a form of joyful remembering. 

John 15:9-11 (emphasis mine)

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

Joy is within our grasp as we remember God’s love for us in Jesus and act by showing that love to those around us. As we share about our joy, particularly of the joy of God’s love for us in Jesus, it beats in our life like a Year 12 students subwoofer. 

Be encouraged during this fatiguing time by looking for discoveries of joy in your life and sharing them amongst your family. If you can’t find any remember God’s love in Jesus. 

Within this spectre of emotions is joy. As we draw our attention to this reality, we can tune into it and experience its benefits more completely.

Timothy Bowles

School Chaplain