Tidings of Comfort & Joy, No. 3

Tidings of Comfort & Joy, No. 3

Today's offering of #songsofcomfort comes from Yo-Yo Ma, the originator of the hashtag and also the founder of Silkroad. This was him kicking off the first of what will become regular Silkroad Sessions, bringing people across the world together through music, with a Mongolian tune.

I think it's especially poignant that he chose a Mongolian tune at this moment when some of our leaders, including our president, are demonizing China and inspiring acts of hate towards Asian Americans. We must name that as wrong. We must. And we must have difficult conversations with friends and loved ones who think it's okay to act that way. 

Kid President posted the photo above yesterday that I think is good advice: 

Absurd Times Call for Absurd Amounts of Love.

Remember, for God so loved the world - the whole world - so let us continue to think about the ways all nations are in this together. Instead, let this global problem allow us to see how connected and how alike we really are. Let's be sure to teach our children that lesson. And let's be sure to remind our parents and grandparents of that too.

As we think about global connections, though, don't neglect those connections that are generally part of our daily and weekly lives. Our routines are being interrupted, but our relationships don't have to be. We need each other. 

Some of us just need to hang out. My kids have been been hanging out with their friends - virtually - constantly. In fact, that's what they would normally do anyway. Whether through video chat or a gaming platform, they are digital natives in ways that we just aren't. 

But a friend had a virtual hangout with her knitting club. And my wife is on a virtual meet-up for the youth tonight. We can do that too, y'all! 

There are options to hang out in person too. A friend had to drop something off today and, although we sat about ten feet apart, we had a beer together on my front porch. I didn't even know that I needed that, but I did.

I'm not sure who needs this kind of comfort, but here's the link for Unemployment Benefits. And, if you are struggling to make ends meet, reach out to your (or a) church, mosque, or synagogue for support. 

But I also encourage you to contact your elected officials at the city, county, state, and national levels to advocate for them to act - and to act quickly - to bring relief to those among us with financial needs at this time. Lots of people need relief. And lots more will soon. So let your voice be heard.

But, please, live a life of joy. 

Remember, it's still Lent. And that means being intentional and taking on new spiritual practices. So, for the rest of Lent, practice joy. Look for it, seek it out, find it around you, and share it with others.

I've mentioned joy guru Ingrid Fetell Lee before. She recently shared these seven emotional lessons for a more joyful life. I encourage you to read the whole thing, but one, in particular, stands out to me:

Small Moments Add Up. 

She makes an important distinction between happiness and joy. Happiness, she says, "is a state of being — longer-term and more complex — whereas joy is an emotion — immediate, momentary, and visceral." She adds: "Because joy seems small, it often can be dismissed." On the other hand: "Because joy is small, it's accessible. I might not know how to be happy on a particular day," she says, "but I know that I can find one or two moments of joy" each day. And she offers this incredible perspective: "One moment of joy every day for a year is 365 more moments of joy, and that is significant!

Let me offer a few moments of joy...

• Whatever this is. I'm not sure what to call it, but it's fun - and will definitely bring you joy.
• Dave Jorgenson, who does Tik Tok and Video for the Washington Post, is bringing daily joy.
• Ben Gibbard, best known as the lead singer for Death Cab for Cutie, is streaming daily Live From Home performances.
• The Indigo Girls are playing some music and answering some questions tomorrow night, Thursday, March 19, at 5:00.

But don't hoard all the joy to yourself. Some of us are exhausted from our work. Some of us are exhausted from our children. Some of us are exhausted from the news. And some of us are just exhausted from life. In the next 24 hours, I challenge you to reach out to at least one person - and share a moment of joy.

Live. Love. Laugh. Pray.