To pursue joy is to pursue God. Our ancestors didn’t bore themselves with God in hushed well-mannered rooms. They celebrated God and all of life through laughter, dance, music, and celebration. Joy and pleasure were intrinsic parts of this celebration.
Until of course… the religious institutions stepped in.
Some quick history:
4th-5th Century AD - After Emperor Constantine’s conversion, joy and pleasure were suppressed because free, joyful communities are harder to control.
Middle Ages - Monasticism pushed strict self-denial, and festivals like Carnival were regulated to maintain power.
16th Century - The Catholic Church ramped up on purity culture, pushing sexual shame, hard work, and self-denial as the “holy” path. Again controlling people and making them useful idiots.
And here we are today, still carrying that seriousness. Afraid of our bodies, afraid of sex, and afraid of public dancing and singing. Que lastima.
God wants your love, your joy, your laughter–not your suffering and hard work.
Celebrate God. Not celibate God (that’s church and control shit).
Because your life IS the ceremony, and it’s up to us to remember this.
May the spirit of joy find you today—and may you listen when it calls.
With love, and maybe a little too much truth,
Corin
Chief Luminary and Spiritual Director at Awake Community Church
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