Is this another (false) choice?
Sometimes I wonder why I do this to myself (and also to my parishioners and listeners I suppose). It is well-established how much I dislike most binaries. I am instantly suspicious when I am faced with an either/or, yes/no situation. Most of what we think of as binaries turn out to be continua. So why would I pose a sermon title and deliver said sermon about a false choice? I promise you it isn’t simply putting up a “Straw Man” to kick over.
The false choice is the one I have encountered between joy and happiness. It isn’t a false choice because we don’t have to choose between them. Furthermore, as I cover in the sermon, I don’t think we can choose joy, we can only choose to look for it and try to create an environment where it can be seen.
The sermon goes into more detail than this brief sketch. Give it a listen and let me know what you think as you are so inclined and able.
Warmest blessings for the season,
