Well. It’s been a bit of a week and many people are struggling with disappointment, darkness and fear. So in this podcast we talk about how we can respond in these times. In particular, I wanted to frame joy as a choice – not as a kind of escapism, but as a revolutionary, even insubordinate act. Like Jesus' embodiment of nonviolent protest, choosing joy and laughter and hope in these times can be seen as defiance, not defeat.
The thing is, we as individuals cannot do much about the big events that are happening around the world. But we can do a lot about the small world around us. We can be kind to one another. We can support local charities and organisations. And most of all, we can refuse to play their game, refuse to be drawn into the swamp of toxic rhetoric and lies. We should and must tell the truth; in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act, as Orwell didn’t say. But that doesn’t mean ramping up the outrage and stoking even more fear and hatred.
I’m aware this could easily come over as naïve, or sticking your head in the sand. I don’t think it’s that. I’m well aware of the terrible things that go on in the world. I work for some of my week with an organisation that supports persecuted Christians. I encounter stories of terrible darkness. But the remarkable thing about people who go through this kind of stuff – at least the people I’ve met – is that their lives are not characterised by bitterness or even anger. They are ‘living hopeful’, to use the words of one Nigerian pastor whose community had been terribly attacked.
Hope, love, kindness, joy, celebration – all of these can be intentional acts of defiance. Or, to use some rather non-theological language, sticking two fingers up to the forces of darkness.