In His Presence, there is fullness of joy. So says the words of Scripture. In this season of contrast, we find so many are left on the outside of this so-called Joy. After the tree and other festive holiday luster of radiance have been sardonically unplugged, timered, or switched off, the darkness sets in, yet our ears can still catch the faint cries and tones of carolers off in the distance. If you focus your hearing enough, you can make out the words of a popular holiday hymn, “His Name is Called Emmanuel.” The word Emmanuel is defined in scripture as God with us. For so many, those words resonate as shallow and impotent, quelled like the faint cries of the carolers now silenced under the canopy of the starlit night.

According to the words of the wise, Emmanuel describes the omnipresent deity who exists despite the darkness of a happenstance-filled existence, punctuated by a series of events, some good and many more bad.  One look at the 6:00 News highlights this notion. The happenstance existence worships at the altar of Just Be Happy.

happiness is like a drug, and the more we take it, the more we become dependent on it. This state of happiness is bookended by empty hopes on one side and the pit of deep remorse on the other.

Kevin Robinson

If we take a closer look at this saying (Just be Happy), what we are faced with is the overwhelming or underwhelming feelings associated with this fragile word. Happy is shrouded in high expectations but lacks delivery; nevertheless, it dictates how we feel about ourselves and others based on ancillary events over which we have no control. “Happy” is a moment lifted off the pages of time and history; happiness is like a drug, and the more we take it, the more we become dependent on it. This state of happiness is bookended by empty hopes on one side and the pit of deep remorse on the other.

Many find themselves wrestling with clinical depression in December, being trapped in the thrill of yesterday, at a loss for a firm footing today, and unable to find the keys to hope for tomorrow. Combine the shortening days of late fall on the doorsteps of the impending winter season, and the Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can multiply this groan of the soul.

People gather in crowded malls, or at office parties, family gatherings, worship services, choirs, carolers, and more. The homogenous holiday rush rages and races toward pandemonium. How could depressing isolation ever surface in this atmosphere of holiday celebration? In truth, the lack of genuine presence lies at the root. Our society’s divisions and economic perils, systemic racism, and a static social and financial trajectory, leave many people in lack, just imagine multiplying these feelings of Isolation and you get a glimpse of the world of marginalized populations of color, who find themselves perpetually absorbing the worst of whatever the current social, economic, health, or any other crisis, especially in times like these.

Joy

Joy is always present. As the creator purposed it all along, it is endless and unaffected by what is going on outside the individual. The promise of our eternal creator states, “In His presence is the fullness of Joy.” Joy is the essence of being human at its best because joy is fueled by the intersection of the natural and the spiritual. Brain chemistry can temporarily boost the entire inner human, producing a sense of elation similar to happiness. Let’s introduce the fullness of joy as a new concept: The Alwaysness of Joy.

The Alwaysness of Joy

Joy is more than a passing feeling or a spark of happiness; it is the quiet rhythm of life flowing beneath every moment. Science tells us that serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin shape our emotions—balancing our moods, rewarding our effort, easing our pain, and connecting us to one another. But deeper still is something that biology alone cannot measure: alwaysness.

Alwaysness is the calm assurance that joy is present even when life shifts, that peace can hold steady when emotions rise and fall. It is the awareness that beyond the waves of momentary happiness lies an ocean of steady grace. In this space, serotonin’s balance becomes serenity, dopamine’s excitement becomes purpose, endorphins’ relief becomes comfort, and oxytocin’s bond becomes belonging.

Joy in motion may come and go—but joy in alwaysness abides. It is not just felt; it is known. It reminds us that even in the quiet, joy has never left—it simply rests within, waiting to rise again.

That is where we must turn to the “Alwaysness” of Joy.

In her aptly named song, Gospel artist Yolanda Adams describes Alwaysness this way.

“Never change, You’ll remain
Faithful through life’s ups and downs, still the same
Everlasting love for me so heavenly
That’s the alwaysness.”

With human connection, there is an undeniable power in the presence of two or more. We are all Imago DEI (Created in God’s Image). Each of us can multiply the joy within one another through our unique human potential, providing the ambiance for the Alwaysness of Joy. And when we are in those purpose-filled social settings, presence like water is drawn to itself; that smile, hug, nod of the head, prayer, kind words of encouragement, or simply listening can change the atmosphere in a room or even change a life through the spirituality of Alwaysness whose potential exists in us all.

Three-Fifths Magazine extends to all the Alwaysness of Joy for the most Joyous Holiday Season Ever!