Lightness-of-being is one of the best life contexts – ranking among the greatest. Physically we live in the context of air. Fish live in the context of water. I believe that spiritually we ought to live in the lightness-of-being context which, in Scripture, is summarized in one word, joy. There is too little attention given for serious understanding and application of the gift of joy for life. Christians have the addition of the spiritual factors that generate even larger benefit, especially in resort to prayer. As with other gifts in life we must open and appropriate the gift. Joy is not an accident, but deliberate for usefulness. Now, what does that mean? There are too many Bible and human references to joy and the joy of the Lord to pass the experience over without knowing what we are about (or ought to be) for our sense of well-being – in daily life. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (v. 13). It reasons for spiritual joy. That joy must be translated to attitude and conduct, in prayerful context about all things.
These large factors of our lives have elemental subdivisions that either enhance the life compound or reduce it in its primary meaning and performance. All matters of life are improved when they are found in balance with each other. I had a friend who died young because he had an enlarged heart. Logic might suggest that since we need hearts for survival, the larger the better. Not so. The body has a favored synchronization (even in the size of body organs), and we need to give that complex matter attention for balance and well-being. Christianity addresses synchronization (sometimes addressed as moderation) for our good and for the service of others. We sometimes address that factor as holistic, so to address all of life – each one a holistic person composed of many parts (including some seemingly unrelated experiences). The key to making that person respectful of his or her own life well lived is not found in power, wealth, profession or any other packaged factor. Our legacy that holds is found in integrity, service, character, affirmations, and in self involvement – especially in giving related to the good of others, and taking only when needs require us to do so – but taking is always part of our stories. It is folly in life, and violation of God’s methodologies for us to refuse assistance when we need it. Life begins for us, and remains so for some years, in the necessity of taking, especially from parents. The pattern is summarized in the word righteousness (right) and comes to us from God. It is in that righteousness that the person finds joy whether in bounty or need, in health or suffering, in freedom or violation, and the story lengthens.
Early in my Christian experience someone introduced me to the verse: They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods. (Hebrews 10:34) The Great Depression remained as a cloud over families, but it was obvious that for many persons there was not going to be any surrender to poverty. They could smile in the face of denial, scarcity, disappointment, low wages and the constant pressure of self-denial in the world of things. When asked the most startling thing he found in the Hitler concentration camps a man replied: The smiles, laughter, jokes and adaptation. To look at the guards we saw solemnity and unhappiness. The guards were sometimes offended at the response of some prisoners, but some lightened up. The horror was lightened a bit by the inner light of some of the prisoners. I have heard some of their stories and the spiritual impression has been lasting. They were solemnized by the horror of it all, but many were also taken by an inner ability to open the gift of life joy, and refuse the interpretation of jailers who would take the gift of life from them. We are told that these prisoners tended to survive more than those who could not incorporate joy in their lives. Joy is found a bridge from darkness to light. In reality it is a lifting factor. Joy is a bridge out of pain, there is love and joy in the mix of circumstances. At this writing the media are covering the story of a young lady dying of incurable brain cancer. Her only wish was to be a part of a college basketball team following recent high school experience. I followed the story of her college game. The stands were more than sold out. She ministered more to the community than they could minister to her. I have seen that pattern too often to question it. Salute the joyful of earth. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020