My favorite Christian song is “Joy to the World”. And no, I didn’t mean to say Christmas. “Joy to the World” is my favorite Christian song. It harks so economically (and melodically, I’ll say) a testimony I desperately hope will reach into the hurting corners of our worlds. And this year, as many recent ones, I’m desperate for its effervescence to do something in my own cranky, skeptical self. 

My personal grief grief is well documented and I am not unique. All around us, a weary world grieves! There is so much going wrong. We’re horrified by all the violence and fear. Weary is so perfect a word. We’re not just sad. We’re not just dismayed. We’re WEARY. We are far along on a journey and the distance to joy and peace remains great.

The perennial sermon heard at any contemporary church’s Christmas Eve candlelight service usually starts in this place. They bring up the 400 years of silence where God was not interacting with the writers of Scripture. They’ll remind you of the darkness of night and then baby Christ, Emmanuel, emerges to bring hope and peace. He is robed in all the good things a world in despair needs to wake up tomorrow and do this all again. A single candle is lit; its flame lent to its neighbor. The light of each candle spreads and, especially if you grew up in a big church, the vast auditorium becomes fully illuminated. It’s the gorgeous, hopeful image of my youth. Hope lives as we spread the light! 

Do you feel it? Today, I don’t. I am sat uncomfortably with the weary. I have been sad for so long and I am tired of doing pretty well. I think about Joy like I think about my writing career: maybe someday! But you know what? I do write sometimes. And even less seldom than that, Joy does find me. Lately I’ve been contemplating “Joy to the World” and I’m sharing my version of its words in case Joy may use it as a brief way into your cranky self today. (The real lyrics are down at the very bottom if you need a refresher).

Hooray! God is not you or me! And PHEW! He’s already here with us.

If we all open our hearts a little bit, we’d find that everything in His universe sings (science kinda backs this up too, which is nice, when that happens).

Hooray again! Also did I mention He is the one responsible to save us from Trouble by using Love?

This is what all the songs are about!

All the stuff of the universe (not including much of human behavior), certainly the stuff we see here on Earth like trees and water, reminds us of the joyful fact of His love.

Over and over again, nature reminds us.

In light of this, stop doing bad things. Not bad like smoking (that’s not great either) but mainly pretending you are God by killing each other literally and figuratively. It perpetuates the horror of life that so many people are already entrenched in! Stop that.

But, as far as the bad vibe has spread already, God will go to do something wonderful there instead.

His whole purpose is to make and do beautiful things all around.

Just a reminder; God is in charge, not you or me. This is meant to be a relief. He knows the whole truth and is being really gracious about it.

All around the world, when you see goodness and love acted out in a wonderful way, that’s proof of the joyful fact of His love. It’s proof that we’re not so far gone. It’s proof that Love and Joy are inextricably linked.

Love is wonderful, isn’t it?

And I added a verse of my own. I’ve tried to honor the melody if you feel like singing to yourself:

While it may feel, like this is false;

That grief and pain endure;

A choice to act in love once more,

Might show you Joy again,

Your Joy will come again,

And joy! Real Joy. Will come again.

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate, and Joy to everyone anyway. I am convinced of the Joy we may not feel today. May it find us in the hope of a universe singing the wonders of His love.