“And now, my friends, all that is true, all that is noble, all that is just and pure, all that is lovable and gracious, whatever is excellent and admirable—fill all your thoughts with these things.” ~ Philippians 4:8
Today’s sermon at First Presbyterian in Lexington focused on Joy. Joy in the midst of a horrible week of continued gun violence that those in power refuse to prevent in any meaningful, effective way. Joy in the midst of grieving for those parents now preparing for an unexpected decoration day that will become a tradition for the rest of their lives. Parents are not supposed to outlive their children, and not all children are lost to violence. So to those parents, too, comes the need to find joy in the midst of a lifetime of grief. Children who have lost parents, friends who have lost friends, siblings who have lost siblings, husbands and wives and significant others who have lost one another to death, expected or otherwise – not one of us gets through this life without the loss of loved ones by whatever means at whatever juncture in life. After each loss, it becomes our obligation to ourselves, to our loved ones who remain with us, and to the creator that we find joy despite the sadness and hardship. Philippians expresses Paul’s attempts to find joy despite his circumstance in prison. Those expressions have helped millions of people for hundreds of years, and whether you’re a Faith believer, Athiest, or Agnostic, some nugget of inspiration can be found in Paul’s words. As Shero and I decorated the family graves yesterday, I was, of course, sad they’re no longer here, but I took great comfort in the memories we made when they were, and the joy and laughter they shared with me. The copious amounts of food created with pure love and sweat (lots of sweat), gentle natures, musical gifts, common sense, and love – always love – these things they gave me were just some of the building blocks I needed to make my own life journey, create my own joy and be able to find it in the midst of my own grief they knew would come my way eventually. They prepared me well and I am forever in their debt for helping me understand what it means to be joyful in the face of any circumstance.
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