Theos-Talk Archives (March 2003 Message tt00368)

The Fires of Joy

By David Spangler

Part of my spiritual practice is to "stoke the fires of joy." This seems to
me especially important at a time when the antithesis of joy seems unleashed
upon us and upon the world once again.

There are many images I could use to describe what I feel here. One that
comes to mind is of a lighthouse. When the storm breaks and all is fierce
winds and lashing waves, it is a lighthouse that penetrates the darkness and
keeps the ships from crashing into the rocks.

Should war come, we will be on stormy seas and the rocks of despair and
depression, anger and fear will most assuredly be there to sink the ship of
our inner energy and vision.

And as others have said in other places on this site, there are many things
in our world such as new diseases appearing and famine and pollution and
starvation...the list goes on and on...that confront us with stormy inner
seas and challenge us in our humanity.

Yet, around all this and permeating it is the presence of what I think of as
the sacred and it has power, too. Its power can be expressed individually or
collectively, transpersonally or personally, consciously or unconsciously.
Its power is rooted in love and in joy, the sheer joy of life, of
engagement, of making connections, of being part of wholenesses larger than
ourselves.
I think of joy as an inner quality that is like medicine within the world.
It has a healing and restorative, vitalizing and protective vibe to it. In
the days ahead, the spiritual forces will be even more called upon for
healing and grace, regeneration and blessing. They in turn are empowered by
the inner "medicines" we supply, the joy, the love, the vision, the
forgiveness, the gratefulness, the light that we can produce.

I believe we forget the power of joy at our peril, for when we lose it, we
can sink beneath the waves and become, to switch metaphors, breeding grounds
for the very forces of despair and destruction, frustration and fear. We
become part of the storm forces not part of the lighthouse.

I don't have an exercise or specific practice to recommend here. We each
know what brings us joy. But there are two elements I would offer.

The first is simply to allow joy to be in us. I may feel in the midst of a
world of sorrow and pain that it is somehow wrong or shameful or at least
selfish to feel joy. But I can ask myself, does my anger or fear or hatred
or despair or depression really help either? Perhaps there are situations in
which they can be of help by motivating me to change or to create change,
but most of the time, they drag my energies down.

We may think of joy as selfish, but anger, fear, hatred, and certainly
depression and despair are infinitely more selfish and self-involving. Joy
is a quality that by its nature reaches out to more than just ourselves. It
enlarges us, expands us, gives us a reason to keep on living and striving.
Joy gives wings to my heart. Depression and anger are stones that weigh it
down.

Will I become insensitive to the needs of others or the suffering in the
world if I am joyful? No. I can be selfishly happy but not selfishly
joyful. Joy does not blind my eyes to others. But fear, depression,
despair can make me insensitive. They can lead me to denial. I try to
escape into pleasure, distraction, addiction to avoid the pain, to blunt the
suffering, to take the edge from despair.

Joy does not lead me to escape. It leads me to embrace the world with all
its suffering and all its wondrousness and creative powers.

So do I have a right to be joyful? In a world of war and despair, do I have
a right not to be? Shall I deny the world the gift of a buoyant heart and
mind that can attune to the powers of spirit, the powers of love, the powers
of the sacred, and the power of humanity to change and to grow?

Joy is not denial. Joy is not placid or resigned acceptance. Joy is a
passion for the wellbeing of all and a courage to shape the world on behalf
of that wellbeing.

So the first step is to give ourselves permission to be joyful.

The second is to pay attention when life brings joy to us. It is such a
clichéd image, but little things like sunsets and children's smiles can
bring joy. A flower can bring joy. Being with a friend can bring joy. For
such a powerful force, joy can enter our lives in such small and trivial
ways. Pay attention!

Keep alert! Joy can ambush us at any moment. It is a fierce warrior that
wants our hearts as its captives, so it can liberate them to new
possibilities and to a power to heal and transform. Surrender to its
claims. Be open to its arrival. At a time of war, we should welcome the joy
that is power, the joy that is peace, the joy that is medicine for the ills
of the world.

© 2003 David Spangler