Today we were learning about a spirituality of joy. We listened to a video of Dr Barbara Holmes, a spiritual leader who died in 2024, talk about joy as an essential part of the spiritual life. One memorable quote from the talk was: “No matter their circumstances, we are called to joy.”
It was surprisingly divisive among those of us watching. Some agreed with her take. Others felt it brushed suffering under the carpet. To me, it felt like a challenge.
Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness is a surface-level emotion and can disappear the moment a storm rolls in. Joy runs deeper. It can survive the storm if we let it. (I know that’s a massive simplification, but bear with me here.)
That kind of deep joy can look suffering in the face and still survive the heartbreak. It can see someone in need and know you can’t fix everything, but still offer the one thing you can do. Maybe giving them your coat. Maybe making sure they have a hot meal.
It challenged me because, if I’m honest, it is much easier to complain. That’s been the problem all through history. Way back in Exodus, God rescues his people from Egypt and leads them towards the promised land. He provides food and water for them.
And yet… the Israelites complain.
“It would have been better to be slaves in Egypt. At least there we had plenty to eat.” (Paraphrasing Exodus 16.) Freedom, it turns out, can still grumble.
That same tendency is alive and well today. Negativity and cynicism creep in easily, and they have a way of draining the joy out of a room. Choosing joy in the face of trial and suffering can sometimes feel like swimming against the current. But perhaps that is exactly why it is a spiritual discipline.
Another story Dr Holmes shared has stayed with me. She spoke about a time when she a delayed operation meant that she was going to be wheelchair bound for a whole year. In the middle of that difficult season she sensed Jesus saying to her, “Dance with me.”
Her response was immediate: “How? I can’t even get out of the chair.”
And the answer came back: “Don’t worry. Your soul knows the steps.”
I love that image. Joy, perhaps, is learning to dance with God even when life feels restrictive. Even when circumstances pin us down. Even when grief or frustration or exhaustion are very real.
The body may feel stuck. The situation may not change. But the soul still knows the steps.
Maybe that’s because Christian joy isn’t something we create for ourselves. It isn’t about pretending everything is fine or forcing a smile through suffering – its not pretending to be happy.
Joy grows out of relationship. It grows out of walking with Jesus.
The one who says “dance with me” is the same one who walked through suffering, through the cross, and out the other side into resurrection life. Which means joy is not the denial of pain. It is the quiet confidence that pain will not have the final word.
And when life feels heavy or restrictive, perhaps the invitation is still the same.
Dance with me.
Because somewhere in the music of grace, our souls still remember the steps.
The Reason for my Hope Blog 