The Wisdom of Advent – Learning to Wait
Week 3: Joy.
Archbishop Tutu offers this observation on the nature of joy, “We are fragile creatures, and it is from this weakness, not despite it, that we discover the possibility of joy.”1
This quote comes from The Book of Joy, written after the Archbishop learned that his prostate cancer had returned. So, this wasn’t an abstract idea but an observation coming from a difficult reality. Similar to how the kingdom of God is here but not yet here, the Archbishop tells us that we can experience both joy and sorrow when we’re in a difficult situation.
- Your season of waiting may have reminded you of the fragility of our lives. From your perspective of living a difficult season, has this changed your outlook on joy in any way?
References
1. The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams, The Book of Joy, 11.
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