You ever wonder why there are purple and pink candles in the Christmas wreath? When I was younger I felt that it just didn’t seem to fit the aesthetics of the Christmas red, green, gold and white.
The Advent wreath was first used by Johann Hinrich Wichern, a German Lutheran pastor, to teach his inner mission young students about waiting for Christmas. The students kept asking him when Christmas would arrive, so he took an old wagon wheel, put four large white candles interspersed with smaller red ones around the edges. The boys lit a red candle each day with the white ones on Sunday until all were lit and Christmas had arrived. The story is that the pastor didn’t give any specific symbolism to the colors, he just used what was available at the time. Other Christian sects took the idea and simplified the amount of candles to just one for each Sunday. The Catholics adapted their version to include colors that went with their vestments; purple being a time of penance with pink representing joy.
This past Sunday was the third Sunday in Advent or Gaudete Sunday (Latin for rejoice). It is represented by the pink or rose candle.
The Joy candle.
Joy is one of the themes for Christmas. Yet it is one word that I find elusive. What does it really mean? Similarly but not quite as elusive is the word happiness. We talk about the the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence. What does that really mean?
Joy and Happiness. Different sides to the same coin or synonyms? I have read so many different definitions from different sources. While there is a commonality, there is not a definitive answer. Is it difficult to describe because it is a word that contains so much- emotion, state of mind and a theological response?
According to Merriam Webster, the definition of joy: 1a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : DELIGHT. b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion : GAIETY 2: a state of happiness or felicity : BLISS. 3: a source or cause of delight. Merriam Webster describes happiness as: the state of being happy- feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.
Psychology expands some on the definitions. According to the American Psychology Association (APA), joy is defined as: n. a feeling of extreme gladness, delight, or exultation of the spirit arising from a sense of well-being or satisfaction. The feeling of joy may take two forms: passive and active. Passive joy involves tranquility and a feeling of contentment with things as they are. Active joy involves a desire to share one’s feelings with others. It is associated with more engagement of the environment than is passive joy. The distinction between passive and active joy may be related to the intensity of the emotion, with active joy representing the more intense form. Both forms of joy are associated with an increase in energy and feelings of confidence and self-esteem. The APA definition of happiness is described as: n. an emotion of joy, gladness, satisfaction, and well-being. —happy adj. Strangely, there is no definition for the word “happy” on their website.
Pastor Rick Warren has been quoted to say- “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” Happiness is mentioned many times in both the New and Old Testaments. It can be translated as blessed: makarios (Greek) or esher (Hebrew). While happiness is seen as a positive, pursuing happiness is not pursuing your own desires at the expense of other’s or at odds with God’s will. In the case of our Declaration, pursuing happiness was also seen as not just for the individual but the happiness that comes with service and purpose.
The difference in theological terms is that joy is an orientation of the mind and heart and not a momentary mood. Joy is an essential part of God’s nature and is one of the fruits of God’s spirit. As we follow God and strive to become more and more like Him, our nature becomes like His- joyful regardless of the circumstances or mood.
Recently, friends shared a video they had made that contained an object lesson for kids. In describing joy and happiness, they used two inflated balloons and a candle. One balloon was labelled joy and the other happiness. When each were held over the flame, the happiness balloon popped but the joy balloon remained intact. The point was that happiness is fleeting. It is determined by the circumstances around us. If things are tough or difficult, like heat from a flame, then our happiness is popped. But, with joy we can withstand the heat and the onslaught of difficulties because what we have inside makes all the difference.*
The more I have been thinking about the definitions of joy and happiness, I think that there is something to the APA definition in conjunction with our theological one. Joy is passive and active. It takes the form of feeling tranquil and in the sharing of feelings with others. It is a feeling that transcends our normal human experience. Joy is a theological gift from God. An emotion that doesn’t make sense to our logical, consequential, if this happens, then that-is-the-response-type of living. Joy is being the constant, un-pop-able balloon when all around us, our consequential experiences, are popping.
Traditionally, on the third Sunday in Advent we read the story of Mary and her beautiful song of praise, The Magnificat- “My soul magnifies the Lord.” It is the time when she hurries to her cousin Elizabeth’s house after having received the shocking news of her pregnancy. On arriving in the home, Elizabeth acknowledges that Mary is pregnant with God’s son.
In our church’s Advent devotional, the writer for this week talks about the quandary that Mary must’ve felt- elation at the incredible news that she was the favored one to bear God’s son but also the fear and worry of how this incredible story would seem to a skeptical world. In traveling to her cousin, one can imagine it was to receive some comfort, share good news and a way to get out of town for a little bit. I can only imagine the discussion the two might’ve had. Elizabeth being way past child bearing and Mary too young. They may have mentioned their fears and worries about the future. They probably discussed their incredulity over the announcements that both of them had. Did they dream of the future and what their sons would look like, what they would do, or how they would behave? Did they talk about how crazy this whole announcement and reality seemed?
What the author of the devotional points out is that Elizabeth and Mary had choices. They could validate the worry and fears that they had for themselves or they could help each other draw closer to God in this time. They chose the latter.
I like that idea- that we can choose to provide space for each other as we navigate new realities. We might feel like this whole year has been crazy and that nothing has happened that warrants feeling happy. I like the description of active joy from the APA- there is a joy in sharing one’s feelings. More than that, the joy comes through encouraging and helping each other improve the situation rather than dwelling on what is happening and feeling powerless to manage our emotions. We can be like Mary and Elizabeth and choose to help others draw closer to God in this time by walking alongside and sharing in the uncertainty all the while reminding one another of the hope that is Christmas.
What about you? Do you feel joyful or happy? Or both? What determines your mood? What about this season? Do you feel joy in your life this Christmas? If not, can you trust God and praise Him regardless? How can you provide support for someone else who might not feel joyful?
“While optimism makes us live as if someday soon things will soon go better for us, hope frees us from the need to predict the future and allows us to live in the present, with the deep trust that God will never leave us alone but will fulfill the deepest desires of our heart... Joy in this perspective is the fruit of hope.” Henri Nouwen.
Choose Joy.
