The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach is joy. Take Joy!
—Fra Giovanni (Verona, 1435)
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Even though Advent is a season for standing in solidarity with all who suffer, it doesn’t exclude joy. The third candle stands for Joy.
Yes, the world is gloomy. But there’s more to the world than gloom. There’s much to celebrate.
The world is doing better than it has for a long time. But it’s hard to believe that if your view of the world is shaped by the media, for whom bad news is good news. Feasting on headlines can make you sick and despondent. Many crusaders exaggerate dangers to raise funds for their causes. It’s easy to believe we’re on the eve of destruction.
I read the news. But I also read books: Steven Pinker’s Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress and Hans Rosling’s Factfulness.
Both books are full of statistics, data, and charts. Both celebrate positive global trends. And both warn of dark trends (demise of liberal democracies; environmental destruction).
Here’s what’s happened over the past 200 years.
Life expectancy has increased from 35 to 70 years on average.
Far fewer babies die at childbirth. Prenatal care has improved and not just in rich countries.
Far fewer children die before age five. Clean water and better nutrition are more readily available.
Far fewer girls are denied schooling. Not long ago 80 percent had no primary schooling. Now 80 percent do.
Literacy rates have soared worldwide.
Far fewer people live in destitute poverty. Electricity, refrigeration, and family planning have spread.
Far fewer die of measles, malaria, smallpox, polio, or guinea worm disease. Access to clinics, hospitals, and vaccines has increased.
Far fewer famines occur. Crop yields per acre have multiplied.
Far fewer houses burn down. Building codes and materials have improved.
Far fewer die from auto accidents. Cars and highways are safer.
Far fewer wars have broken out, partly because international trade agreements have increased. Nations seldom make war on a trading partner.
Far fewer nuclear warheads are stockpiled.
Fewer nations see coal and oil in their future. More are turning to solar, wind, and hydroelectric power whose costs are decreasing.
No, it’s not all rosy. Many problems still plague us. There’s much work to be done.
Still, we can sing “Joy to the World,” light a candle, and feel hopeful.
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See Paula’s photo on the home page. Posted December 5.
Thank you. Joy is a holy gift isn’t it, a manifestation of our spiritual connection to the Divine? Our little town gives us plenty of people, beauty and life to bring us joy.
Tragedy and injustice will always exist but the forward tacking of human progress through the winds of time is measurable and real. Let’s just hope we can exert that much attention to the planet we inhabit and not just the species. Stay joyful my friends.
Thank you for this good news…all brite lites, reminders of our collective progress. Feeling Joyful & grateful here…Hillary’s book “It takes a Village” shared so many good works & advancements going on around the world as well. The good stories are all around, seldom make the news, but everywhere – if you look… 💓
Thank you for the piece on joy. news media does celebrate disaster, largely. the announcers’ voices shift into intense high gear and immediately i think oh oh. i woke up after the winds last night to see stars spilling into a cloud bank over the lake’s horizon. and i’m sitting in a silent house watching the rising sun tint the cloud bank pink, purple and lavender while the lake is metallic. Sparrows , juncos and jays are eating breakfast and this all brings me joy.
Thank you for being the herald of Good News. Words of Joy at Advent
May the long time sun shine upon you
All Love surround you
and the Pure Light within you
Guide you all the way on.
– Mike Heron (The Incredible String Band) – 1968
This was always a part of our gathering in worship. Joy, hope, peace and community/communion in the Kingdom of grace. As you say- not perfect, but we are all better for it.
You nailed it when you stated “I read the news.” The key to finding joy and things to celebrate in the news is to READ it, not WATCH it (I group Social Media in with watching, as processing snippets of stimulus isn’t really reading). Sitting in front of network news will indeed make one despondent, and there is no choice to the programming that we are spoon-fed; fatalistic drivel intended to terrify the public and push political agenda. But reading allows us choose our content, and there is much to celebrate! A musical or theatre series at a local college, an art show, special interest pieces about triumph and success, not failure and suffering. Our local Sheriff’s Dept. reports their good deeds and not just a crime blotter, such as helping find housing for a homeless family, or chipping in to purchase a bicycle for a child who had one stolen. We needn’t feel pigeon-holed into enduring constant negativity, there is much to rejoice in. As with anything worthwhile in life, you simply need to exert a little effort to find it.
Just when we needed it, a spark of joy. Thank you for the reminder that we live the good life in so many ways, that change accumulated slowly and surely, that we have plenty to celebrate even when there is still much work to do, that how we receive and consume information matters a great deal.
Happy Joy Week and Merry Christmas.