Joy to the World. Eh? You kidding? 

If we’re honest, joy doesn’t seem to be a dominant note across the world these days. But Christian joy is not a denial of darkness; it is an affirmation of the light of God in Christ. By Jim Gordon

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let Earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

I know. Once you read it the tune becomes an earworm. But that first word, sung with such faith and hope and, yes, joy! The idea that heaven and nature sing, that the Creation is an orchestra with choir, and that God reigns – that is pure Advent.

But if we’re honest, joy doesn’t seem to be a dominant note across the world these days. In fact, the world is so lacking in joy that the Tesco Christmas advert is based around a joy shortage. The reassuring voice tells us they can sort it by offering affordable goodies.

I don’t think so. Joy isn’t created by buying more stuff. Joy comes from the deep places of love and being loved; joy needs charged batteries of hope; human joy is the response of the heart to good things happening. Which brings us back to Advent.

Advent is when we celebrate the best thing that has ever happened in the history of the world. Every year, an annual reminder. “Joy to the world! The Lord is come!” The birth of Jesus is the hinge point in history, “The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.”

This Advent, our world which is in the midst of a joy recession, hears again the words of the angels, “Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people…for to you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour…”

Earth’s deepest joy is that once in human history, on this green planet, on the ground we stand on, God came to us in the fragility of human birth, “Emmanuel, God with us”. Of course Christmas is about celebration, and singing, and parties, and food, and friends and family. And we’ll do our best to share in that and be part of the joy-making. The birth of Jesus is a global event after all.

“Joy to the world! The Lord is come!” But what about the realities of our world, though?  We don’t need to be told there is a joy shortage, a joy deficit, even a joy recession. You can hear it relentlessly in the tone of voice of news readers, the angry arguments of politicians, the calls for strikes and the denials there’s any money, and behind all this a cultural anxiety that something has changed for the worse.

When you put it like that, Christians going on about joy seems a bit tone deaf to people who are struggling with the cost of eating and heating. Not to mention that world out there, where there is so much suffering, loss, anxiety about the future. And the fear that maybe the big problems are running beyond our human capacity to control.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Isaiah understood that joy is rooted in hope, and grows out of faith in God the Creator and Redeemer. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and his name shall be called wonderful Counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of Peace.”

Christian joy is not a denial of darkness; it is an affirmation of the light of God in Christ. Advent joy celebrates the always truth that God is in control, that “the government is upon his shoulders.”

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

So. “Let every heart prepare him room,”

Grace, peace… and joy, 

Image | Osman Rana | Unsplash

Jim Gordon is a former principal of the Scottish Baptist College. This article first appeared on his blog Living Wittily and is used with permission

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