Cultivating Joy

First, let me state that I'm not Jewish. But, I do understand that the Jewish traditions are founded in God revealing Himself to a specific people so that the whole world might know who He is–His character, His nature, His ways. This process of spiritual formation in ancient practices can be clearly seen through the different festivals given to the Jewish people. Each festival had a specific focus, but in each, they were to set aside their day to day and focus on the goodness of God–and this was to be done in community.

The truth is, as people, no matter our belief system, we are being formed by our environment, our experiences, and our perceptions on a daily basis. And if we are to be formed into the image of Christ, it will need to be highly intentional. However, much like the ancient Hebrews we read about in the Old Testament, sometimes our understanding of who Jesus is gets skewed (truthfully, much of the time). So, our spiritual formation usually requires us to be somewhat counter-cultural.

It seems scandalous to most of us to think that Jesus was an extemely joyful, kind, and compassionate person. We read His teachings through our own western mindset and approach our Christian practices the way we do everything else–we work hard at getting everything just right. Plus, we see our spiritual formation as something highly individualistic, something we need to work on by ourselves and for ourselves.

But, for those of us who have a tendency toward chronic stress-related illness, the last thing we need is trying to heal alone through working hard at getting it all right. Do you know what we actually need? -to cultivate joy, a sense of play, and a place to express compassion for others.

In just a few weeks, the Jewish holiday of Purim will be celebrated on March 6. If you were to ask any Jewish person what Purim is about, they would tell you it is a festival of joy–a time to remember that God delivers His people from oppression. And because of this, we can glean from the lessons as well.

There are 4 specific activities that those who celebrate Purim participate in:

1) Giving gifts of money to at least two people in financial need.

2) Sending food gifts, made up of at least two types of foods, to at least one friend.

3) Enjoying a festive Purim meal, preferably with friends.

4) Recounting the story of the Purim miracle by reading the book of Esther.

It seems to me that God loves to see us celebrate! That is what the festival was to produce–a yearly celebration of how God delivers and rescues His people. But if we look at the festivals as formative, then we have to acknowledge that true celebration happens in community–through the simplicity of thoughtfully sharing our time and resources with those around us. And do you know what happens when we do...joy begins to bubble up...

I'm thinking that maybe, somewhere around March 6th, a tea party is in order because who doesn't need to cultivate joy and kindness within community...I know I do...