As I (slowly) make progress in writing a memoir, I find that one of the perks is that little nuggets of writer’s gold sometimes bob to the surface as I sift through the stream of memory. Recently, I found one that speaks to joy: I was raised in the Protestant Christian tradition and, as in many homes, my mother was the parent who saw to it that my sister and I attended Sunday School and who attended church herself. Dad preferred Sunday mornings on the golf course but would make an appearance at church on Christmas and Easter. On one such occasion, while the pipe organ was thundering and the congregants were lifting their voices in song, there came a distinctly different sound from the end of our row. Dad was whistling along with the hymn! After the service, when Mom playfully chided him for it, his response was, “Well, I was happy! Aren’t you supposed to be happy in church?”
I’ve thought about his words over the years and decided that the simple question he asked touched on a profound truth. Aren’t we supposed to be happy in our places of worship and in our religion? James Martin, in his wonderfully engaging book, Between Heaven and Mirth, reminds us that “the theme of joy runs throughout almost all the major religions and spiritual traditions.” Too often, though, we forget that joy. We become too much “sinners in the hands of an angry God” and too little “Rejoice in the Lord, always!” It’s all too easy to fall victim to the notion that God and religion are “serious” subjects which should be regarded with the proper solemnity. We are then in danger of equating holiness with dourness.
Father Martin also tells us that “underlying this gloom is a lack of belief in this essential truth: Faith leads to joy.” One of the illustrations he uses is the example of the Dalai Lama. Can you imagine a more joyful being than the Dalai Lama? He’s filled with so much joy that he can’t contain it; he laughs out loud! Every time I see him in a film or a brief news clip, I feel as if I’m actually in his presence; his joy transcends time and place. And, I feel happier for having shared a moment of that transcendent joy.
No matter what spiritual path you follow, if you look into the sacred writings, you will find them overflowing with invitations to be joyous. From the “Make a joyful noise” of Psalm 100 to the “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” of John 16:24 to these words of Baha’u’llah, “O My beloved! If thou didst know what God had ordained for thee, thou wouldst fly with delight and happiness, gladness and joy would increase every hour.” And these, “Let not the happenings of the world sadden you. I swear by God! The sea of joy yearneth to attain your presence, for every good thing hath been created for you and will, according to the needs of the time, be revealed unto you.”
This “sea of joy” surrounds us at all times even though we may be completely oblivious of it. To plunge into its depths, we first need to acknowledge it and then open ourselves to it. The time-honored practices of prayer (ask and ye shall receive) and meditation (we become what we think about) are two of the keys to accessing joy.
Another factor is our own will. Being happy and joyful is a choice; one we can make each day. One of my favorite Baha’i prayers is this one: “O God, refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.”
Let’s choose wisely. When we are filled with joy, it naturally spreads to others and there can never be too much joy in the world!
Nancy Flood-Golembeck is a retired teacher and longtime member of the Baha’i Faith. In addition to serving on the local Baha’i governing body, she is currently writing a memoir.
