becoming a man of defiant joy
On Friday, November 13, 2015, a series of coordinated attacks by radical Islamist terrorists struck Paris, France. The first one was during an international soccer match, the second one targeted civilians at cafes and restaurants, and the third one opened fire on concertgoers in the Bataclan theater.
130 people were killed, 416 were injured, (almost 100 critically) and it was the deadliest attack in the European Union since 2004.
Fear, grief, anger, and horror filled the city.
Having pastored in New York City for almost 20 years and having felt the aftermath of 9/11 and several terrorist attacks since, I know first-hand the shock that can hit the heart. My kids were in a subway station when a terrorist let off a bomb. I’ll never forget the sound of hundreds of sirens and watching my kids rushing down 44th Street back to St Kilda’s coffee shop where we had just prayed together. Safe, but shaken.
U2 was scheduled to perform in Paris shortly after these attacks. Many were worried that their concert could be another target for terrorism. Others were still in mourning and concerned this would create a venue for a copycat attack.
U2 met as a band to discuss their response. Should they cancel their shows in solidarity with the victims? Should they shrink back in fear? Should they wait for time to heal the still-bleeding wounds of the city?
As much as their hearts were troubled, they realized that to cancel their show would be to give in to terror. It would be to acquiesce to the intended fear. They wanted to fight instead. But how? What would their weapon be? What could they do amidst so much suffering and grief? They decided to perform. The weapon would be defiant joy. Bono went on to say:
"Paris is a very romantic city, and you know, the essence of romance is defiance. And defiant joy, we think, is the mark of our band, and of rock-and-roll. They’re a death cult. We’re a life cult."
Defiant joy as a weapon against despair. Defiant joy as a weapon against terror. Defiant joy because normal joy is nowhere to be found. So U2 took to the stage, raised their voices in hope, and gave names to the streets still filled with tears.
And this link is what that sounded like.
The first minute is worth your time and a lesson in leadership all on its own.
In the world today, there is so much to grieve over. So much sin, so much brokenness, so much injustice and hate. We are called to war against this as we can. But maybe we need to add a weapon to our arsenal. The weapon of defiant joy.
I want to be a man of defiant joy.
One who raises my fist to fight, but not with flesh and blood.
I want to fight cynicism with wonder.
Apathy with passion.
Despair with joy.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said to "Scatter joy!"
Here is some fuel to help you scatter joy this week.
Scatter it on your marriage.
Scatter it on your kids
Scatter it in your church.
Scatter it in your city.
And scatter in hope.
Psalms 126:6 promises us:
Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.
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(Also as hard as it may seem for older folks, many in Gen Z don’t know who U2 is, and have never really heard a song. If this is your introduction to them, you’re welcome.)
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In Today’s Newsletter
Verses to memorize on joy
Quotes to ponder
My favorite books on joy
A joyful man who makes beautiful music
A couple of poems about finding joy in the daily grind
Controversial joy
Joy among men
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VERSES WORTH MEMORIZING
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy
1 Peter 1:8
^ I pray this happens with more depth in your heart this week.
"Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Luke 15:10
^ The angels aren’t stoic fellas; you shouldn’t be either.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
^ Pray this over your kids and spouse this week.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:11
^ Complete joy, this is what Jesus offers. Refuse to settle for anything less.
Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Nehemiah 8:10
^ Choice food, sweet drinks. Maybe the most godly thing you can do this week is go out for a nice dinner, get dessert, and be grateful for the goodness of God in your life.
The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.
Nehemiah 12:43
^ What sound can be heard coming out of your house?
QUOTES TO PONDER
"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice."
John Calvin
"Among the tales of sorrow and of ruin that came down to us from the darkness of those days there are yet some in which amid weeping there is joy and under the shadow of death light that endures. And of these histories most fair still in the ears of the Elves is the tale of Beren and Lúthien."
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
"Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God."
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
BEST BOOKS ON JOY
Path of Life: Finding the Joy You've Always Longed For by Rick Howe
My all-time favorite book on this topic of joy is this one by Rick Howe.
I have read and reread this and have gotten something fresh each time.
In a day when many see Christian faith as a set of obscure doctrines and rigid rules, Path of Life focuses on the God whose radiant joy eclipses all else, whose beauty steals our breath, and whose goodness beckons us into a life-changing, life-enriching relationship that will never end. Path of Life seeks to lead people into the Scriptures, and to introduce them to a growing band of Christians who see following Jesus as a path and portal to flourishing in life.
Strangely Bright by Joe Rigney
A short, thoughtful little read on whether or not, or how much, we can get joy out of created things in this world. A good, quick, sabbath read. Here is a summary.
Everything in creation declares his glory. Made things make his invisible attributes visible. All of God’s gifts are invitations—they display who he is and invite us to know him and delight in him. They are the beams; he is the sun. They are the streams; he is the fountain. So our calling is simple: to enjoy God in everything and everything in God, knowing that he is greater and more satisfying than any and all of his gifts.
MUSIC
TITUS HAUG
I met Titus on the Wilderness Trip to the Grand Canyon with my daughter. Titus was one of the photographers on the trip. But it turns out he was more than that.
A speaker of fluent Japanese, husband to a light-hearted woman, surfer, artist, and lover of San Diego, I have been really enjoying his music.
You can check him out here.
My favorite songs:
Good Day is the soundtrack for playing with your kids.
Hiding Place. Reflection vibes.
Slow Down. The Sound Track of John Mark Comer's life
POEM ON JOY
ORDINARY LIFE. BY BARBARA CROOKER
I love this vision of finding joy in the ordinary stuff of life.
Nothing dramatic, just presence and gratitude. This kind of joy is all around us if we just slow down and see.
This was a day when nothing happened,
the children went off to school
without a murmur, remembering
their books, lunches, gloves.
All morning, the baby and I built block stacks
in the squares of light on the floor.
And lunch blended into naptime,
I cleaned out kitchen cupboards,
one of those jobs that never gets done,
then sat in a circle of sunlight
and drank ginger tea,
watched the birds at the feeder
jostle over lunch's little scraps.
A pheasant strutted from the hedgerow,
preened and flashed his jeweled head.
Now a chicken roasts in the pan,
and the children return,
the murmur of their stories dappling the air.
I peel carrots and potatoes without paring my thumb.
We listen together for your wheels on the drive.
Grace before bread.
And at the table, actual conversation,
no bickering or pokes.
And then, the drift into homework.
The baby goes to his cars, drives them
along the sofa's ridges and hills.
Leaning by the counter, we steal a long slow kiss,
tasting of coffee and cream.
The chicken's diminished to skin & skeleton,
the moon to a comma, a sliver of white,
but this has been a day of grace
in the dead of winter,
the hard cold knuckle of the year,
a day that unwrapped itself
like an unexpected gift,
and the stars turn on,
order themselves
into the winter night.
HAPPINESS. BY RAMOND CARVER
Another poem about finding the joy in daily life.
I have this framed on the wall at my summer cabin.
So early it's still almost dark out.
I'm near the window with coffee,
and the usual early morning stuff
that passes for thought.
When I see the boy and his friend
walking up the road
to deliver the newspaper.
They wear caps and sweaters,
and one boy has a bag over his shoulder.
They are so happy
they aren't saying anything, these boys.
I think if they could, they would take
each other's arm.
It's early in the morning,
and they are doing this thing together.
They come on, slowly.
The sky is taking on light,
though the moon still hangs pale over the water.
Such beauty that for a minute
death and ambition, even love,
doesn't enter into this.
Happiness. It comes on
unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,
any early morning talk about it.
CONTROVERSIAL JOY
JOYFUL MEN
I have a new book coming out next month. It’s a vision of helping men fight despair, loneliness, shame, lust, ambition, futility and apathy. It’s meant to help men fight for joy.
If you wanted to bring me some joy, you could preorder it and spread the word.
I would be truly grateful.
You can do that here.
Or here.
Here's to fighting with and for joy.
With defiance.
Cheers.
Jon.