How do you describe pure joy? Does it involve the peaceful easy feeling of an ocean breeze, a cool drink, a good book, and all being well with the world? Well, I have it on the good authority from a middle school boy that pure joy also exists when one takes a punch in the face.
One day a boy in middle school was exiting a bathroom while another boy was entering. The boy entering must have been startled because his reaction was to throw a punch, which happened to land on the face of the boy exiting the bathroom. You can imagine what happened after that, but if you’re like me, you’re probably wrong. The boy exiting the bathroom bolted away from the situation and went straight to a teacher to say that he was involved in an altercation (however, I don’t think the word altercation was used). The teachers quickly collaborated to apprehend the other boy and find out what really happened.
On the way home from school, the boy who took the punch explained to his father what happened. Upon arriving home, the phone was already ringing as a teacher was trying to contact the family. The teacher was hoping, and praying, that the father would be an understanding man because it was obvious that the other boy came from a rough background. What that boy needed, the teacher said, was acceptance and love with encouragement to appreciate living by school rules. It turns out the father was an understanding man, and a man who understood his son.
That evening at bed time, the father went to say good night to his son. On his way, he grabbed his Bible and turned to James 1. When he said good night, he told his son that he was very proud of the way he handled the situation that day. Taking the punch without reciprocating, and exiting the situation rather than fighting, was the best possible response. The father asked his son to read James 1:2-3 which says “2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” In the silence that followed, the father asked the son, “so, what do you think?” The son said, “James is a weird dude, dad.”
The dad explained to his son that some other boy might have punched back and turned the situation into a bloody brawl. Another boy might have been devastated and never wanted to return to school. Dad explained that the best guy to take a punch in that situation is the one who could do it without being devastated or wanting to retaliate. And maybe the other boy needed to see that example. The act of taking a punch could turn a life around. Dad went on to say that if the experience helped his faith to develop perseverance, that we could consider it ‘pure joy.’
The son said he understood, was at peace about what happened, and that his faith was never stronger.
The father’s perspective? Pure joy.
Pursuing Peace 