Lonely Exile: A Daily Advent Devotional

Part Fifteen: Joy to the World

Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:8-11, NRSVue

The Christmas story insists that joy is possible. In both the first century and the twenty-first century, that insistence can seem a little…naive, to say the least. However, year after year, Advent asks us to make space for the possibility of joy.

Our first assumption might be that the opposite of joy is sadness, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, the opposite of joy most often is fear. That’s how the Gospel of Luke presents the Christmas story, as a message that casts out fear and makes space for joy. Over the next several days we will explore what joy might mean in the context of the first Christmas, and in our own experience of Christmas today.

Questions for Reflection:

How would you define joy?
What has your experience of joy been?’
What does the idea of joy and fear being opposites mean to you?