Joy That Deepens in Silence
Story★★★★St. Paul spoke of himself as “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” And Jesus went to the Cross for the joy that was set before Him. One of the distinctive marks of many people today is that they have no conception, still less experience, of a joy that can deepen in silence and even in sorrow. Dr. Reid tells how it was said of W. E. Gladstone’s daughter that she was “so happy she could afford to be serious.” “Some people,” adds Dr. Reid, “cannot afford to be serious, for the moment they are serious they come face to face with the spectre of their own unhappiness.”
The point
A meditation on how joy can coexist with sorrow and seriousness, drawing from Paul and Jesus who found deep happiness despite hardship and approaching suffering.
Scripture
2 Corinthians 6:10Hebrews 12:2
Audience
Adults
Tone
Thoughtful · Inspiring · Profound
To tell aloud
under a minute · 105 words