Joy

Joy is a powerful feeling that helps us be more creative and connect with people, building relationships into strong communities. It is one of our most basic emotions, a fundamental part of a well rounded and happy life, and essential for human bonding, which is necessary for the proper functioning of society. Should it be a concern then that according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, around seven percent of our population suffers from depression? 

I want to make a few things clear at the start here. Some people may say that it is an oversimplification to say that people suffering from depression cannot feel joy. That’s true, but it also isn’t my point. People with depression may experience joy, but for many of them that joy may feel inhibited, fleeting, and rare. It may be difficult to feel an overwhelming sense of joy when there are so many other concerns for them. Even events that would bring joy can be clouded by ongoing worries that cannot be dismissed. Sure, they may feel joy, but not as much as they would like.

Some people may say that this isn’t really a problem. People with depression are simply experiencing a chemical imbalance that can be treated. We have the medicine to solve this problem. While it may be true that the antidepressants we have available may be helpful to some people in fighting depression, the solution isn’t always so clear. According to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the theory of chemical imbalance is no longer sufficient for explaining depression. They are looking into the idea of complicated brain circuitry now. This may prove valuable and lead to the development of more effective antidepressant medication, but it also may be found to be inadequate later on. Human brains are incredibly complex, and what may work for some people may be counterproductive for others. Medication may be helpful, but it doesn’t completely solve everything.

Then again, some people may say that seven percent isn’t terrible. We have enough people without depression who can continue to run society well, but there are two problems here. One, seven percent is not a number that should be dismissed. That is an astounding number of people. Two, clinical depression isn’t the only problem. Aside from diagnosable mental health concerns, people have a wide variety of generally pessimistic outlooks. There are people who think the problems of the world will never be solved, or if they are, it will only come at terrible costs. There are people who think that there isn’t any point in hoping for a better future, so we should all just enjoy what time we have here and otherwise give up. Others hide from the problems the world faces and slap on a happy face delving into binge watching shows on Netflix and taking up new hobbies on a regular basis without any of them bearing much fruit in order to avoid confronting the real structural problems in the world. To be clear, there isn’t anything wrong with learning new hobbies or watching good shows, but when we do it to pretend to be happy, to create a false sense that our lives are moving in the right direction under our control, they aren’t actually bringing joy. They are simply masking sadness and fear.

How do we face the evils of the world and still find joy? And could depression and all the other cynical and pessimistic views be correct? I have a friend who believes that the smarter people get the more depressed they become. The more we learn about the world, the sadder we are. Could it be that chemical imbalances and brain circuitry aren’t the underlying problems that lead to depression, but rather that learning more about how bad things are in the world ultimately leads there? Does the world itself depress us?

If you place a lot of value on yourself being a moral person who does not do anything wrong, then learning too much might break that for you. Almost every product you purchase today comes at the cost of exploitation of another human being or some harm being done to the world. Some of the materials used to make the computer chips that are allowing you to read this and me to write this come at the cost of poor workers slaving away in unsafe mines for low wages. A lot of the things we eat and clothes we wear have similar stories. We wouldn’t have what we have now, if someone weren’t suffering for it. You can’t escape wrong doing in a world whose economy is run on exploitation and cruelty. 

If your joy is reliant upon the purity of your soul, the more you learn, the less happy you’ll be. So maybe, we don’t need to put so much trust in our own purity. If your hope is reliant upon humans being able to peacefully, quickly, and effectively change the global structures in place such that the world lives in peace and freedom, including economic liberation, for all people and protection of the natural resources of the world, then a close study of history will crush your hope. We can’t fix this, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed.

When we rely on ourselves to produce good and hope and change in the world, we always come up short. However, God can change things. Unfortunately, we don’t really want to wait around for God to bring about paradise, we want things to be better now. How can God fix things and bring us joy in the present time?

With God’s gift of faith, we can see God’s kingdom becoming real for us, present among us. We don’t have to wait for some distant future. God’s kingdom is here now. Certainly, this doesn't mean that everything is fixed. That would make God’s kingdom look pretty ineffective. If it is here, why isn’t the world better? The celestial war for the soul of the world isn’t over, but we can see the little battles, and not only that, we can also fight them. Our joy doesn’t need to be derived from a world that works. It doesn’t need to derive from our own moral purity. It doesn’t need to rely on a fair and just system. Our joy can be derived from discerning God’s presence in the little victories that lead the way to a better world.

When not only are families fed, but the political battles to change the structures that made them poor are won, we can see God present in sharing food and fighting the powers that kept them hungry. When not only does violent crime decrease but also the circumstances that lead people to be violent are addressed, we can see God’s multifaceted protection at work. When people facing serious mental health challenges are listened to and given help, but also when the crushing evils of a society that reduces people to machines chasing impossible dreams are critiqued, challenged, and battled, we can see God at the clinic, at the home, and on the front lines of the battle against all things that rob us of our happiness.. 

Joy may be hard to come by in a world where hope and peace are challenged, but it isn’t beyond our grasp. With a foundation of faith, joy may come from knowing that no matter how bad we may feel, we aren’t suffering alone. God goes before us, and the whole kingdom, all our siblings in Christ rally around us.