What is Joy?

How do joy and happiness look the same? How do they look different? I’ve always wondered this question. Then, I ran into some words by C.S. Lewis. My favorite guy!

In his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, he tells of experiencing an other-worldly joy — in three distinct episodes.

The reader who finds these three episodes [in which Joy occurred] of no interest need read this book no further, for in a sense the central story of my life is about nothing else.

Explained in another of his books, Shadowlands and Songs of Light,

“Joy — that sharp wonderful stab of longing — has a lithe, muscular lightness to it. It’s deft. It produces longing that weighs heavy on the heart, but it does so with precision and coordination…it dashes in with the agility of a hummingbird claiming its nectar from the flower, and then zips away. It pricks, then vanishes, leaving a wake of mystery and longing behind it.

Joy is found only in the kingdom of God. It is a dimension of life that is not of this world. It begs us to seek it. To find joy, is to find God.

Originally published at http://prisonerbynocrimeofmyown.com on June 9, 2022.