City of Joy

And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.

– Deuteronomy 10:19

Our indebted nation is divided politically, inflation is on the rise and we’re still battling the effects of COVID-19. If you believe the news media, there’s not much to feel joyous about these days. But the truth is that millions around the world would do just about anything to trade places with us. That’s because even the poorest of the poor in the United States are considered rich (at least statistically) when compared with the rest of the humanity.

If that thought doesn’t brighten your day, maybe the City of Joy will put things into perspective. In his book of the same name, author Dominique Lapierre writes about Anand Nagar (“The City of Joy”), which is a slum in the center of Kolkata, India. Its residents are of different castes and religions, but they tirelessly help one another in the midst of grinding poverty and injustice. As one book critic described it, Lapierre met people there who possessed nothing, yet seemed to have everything. The City of Joy was a place where the innocent actually thrived on poverty because of their freedom from care and zest for life. In fact, Lapierre found more heroism, joy and happiness in the Indian slums than in many cities of the affluent West. It was these unlikely residents who turned a place of darkness into a City of Joy.

As Christ-followers, our relationship with Jesus grants us literal access to our Creator — a loving Father who hears our prayers and looks for ways to bless us. So no matter how bad things get in our lives, we already know that our ultimate story will end on a very positive note. Jesus’ idea when he sent out his original disciples 2,000 years ago — as well as you and me today — is to reach the world with his message of grace and joy, and put off our selfish concerns and desires. What’s more, he wants us to show compassion to a broken and needy world. Following Christ means following the example he set: feeding, clothing and providing resources to refugees and the poor who would otherwise do without. As we read in Proverbs 31: 8-9:

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.