Joy That Does Not Ask for Understanding

There is something in us that resists awe and surrender. The ego pulls back from wonder, and the will fights to remain in control. But we have seen that only by entering moments of truth—sometimes raw, sometimes tender—do we change. Joy unspeakable does not wait for perfect conditions. It breaks in through the weight of grief, the shock of injustice, the rhythm of shared prayer. Ultimately, joy unspeakable is a mystery, and because each mystery begets another, it is a daunting task to describe the indescribable. Joy does not ask for understanding. It demands presence. Awe prepares us to release control. Surrender allows joy to rise in its place. This joy is not personal escape. It is communal strength. The truth of being human calls us to be together, to walk toward the center, where even suffering can hold meaning.

May the mystery of joy unspeakable
sustain us, drawing us together
in courage, surrender, and shared strength.

(inspired by Richard Rohr, Just This; Barbara A. Holmes, Joy Unspeakable)