Today we had our Christmas party for school leaders. It is traditional that I say a few words at the end of the event, so today’s post is a copy of my remarks (doing double duty). Those who have read this blog for many years may detect some themes that I’ve written about before, but I think these things are worth saying every year.
Joy
One of the words we hear at this time of year more than any other (just behind “figgy pudding”) is joy. We are wished, encouraged (threatened) to have a joyful holiday season. In fact, most of us don’t even notice these greetings, stacking them like fruitcakes under the tree with a vague thought, “Yeah, I hope that my family and I will be happy.”
But we all know in ourselves, in our families, and in our world there are many challenges, brokenness, and fear that the celebration of Christmas cannot cure. As school communities we are exposed to abundances of happiness and sadness, often knowing the story behind the surface, sometimes knowing much more than we want to. Family challenges, including our own, are often exacerbated by the holiday season. Likewise, the state of the world often does not seem to be headed toward greater justice and peace or happiness (which is probably the most charitable thing that I can say).
But joy is not the equivalent of happiness. Happiness is essentially reactive, depending on outside events. Joy is proactive. It is generated from within and does not draw its strength from anything but itself. Joy is the constant belief in Emanuel, God is with us. It was the tidings of the Angel to the shepherds. It is a light amidst darkness.
So while I wish you and your families happiness throughout this holy season of Advent and the coming season of Christmas, and peace, and prosperity, and new cars (that according to television everyone seems to be receiving), and full schools, and amazing growth scores on the STAR tests, and technology that never goes down, I also wish you a defiant joy that faces good and not so good, strength and brokenness with profound jubilation that in all of our lives, all of them, God is with us.