-- Rob Bell
Joy is a right-now thing; it is about what is happening right now. In other words, we can't really experience joy, if we're not in this moment—if we are preoccupied with the future or the past.
We so enjoyed Rob Bell's recent presentation, "Introduction To Joy". He gets so much flak from certain religious people—you would think he is a demon or something. I wonder if these people have ever really seen or heard him speak in person. I find what he is doing so refreshing and powerful, especially in our continually emerging post-Christian culture. He is propagating truth at profound levels.
It is interesting that one of our more famous seasonal hymns also positions joy as a function of the current moment. In the words, of the hymn:
Joy To The World...
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.
In this case, joy is broadcast to the world in celebration of the birth of Christ. When we get fresh (and often surprising) realization that what we long for IS in fact still happening, our most unfettered response is often joy. Joy in the moment. Joy in the fresh encounter with possibility. Joy from a renewed kind of wonder—that something we are hoping for...still IS—especially something like the refrain says...the wonders of God's love.
What if our ability to experience joy is linked to our ability to wonder about any given moment?
