A wise Mary Oliver writes about Joy in a poem entitled “Don’t Hesitate” :
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
This and other poetry, prayers, scripture passages, and songs anchored our time together at the Craigville Conference Center on Cape Cod. In the midst of personal sorrows and collective grief, fear, and sadness, Joy found a way to trickle in. It showed up in nature walks, bike rides, conversations with friends old and new, soul collages, flower pens and other art projects, creative haikus, puzzles, games and laughter, strolls along the beach, songs of resistance sung outside, tai chi and breathing meditation, and the generous hospitality of food, lodging, and communal spaces where joy and love could abide.
Author of the book, Joyful Anyway, Kate Bowler writes:
“It’s not fair. It hurts. There’s deep fear, anger, sorrow. Nothing in you says ‘Ah yes. Now is the perfect time to become a deeply joyful person.’ But here’s the strange truth, Joy does not wait for life to make sense or get better. It shows up still, sometimes in small, almost ridiculous ways. Not instead of fear, or after fear, but alongside it. … As you face down fear, may there be moments that interrupt the spiral just long enough for you to catch your breath. May your fear be allowed to be fear. And may Joy – quiet, flickering, stubborn – find you anyway. Not because everything is ok or because you figured it out. But because even here, life is still reaching for you. And when you cannot feel it, may others carry it for you.”
