Joy in a World Gone Mad

This may have escaped your notice, but we live in world full of pain and suffering, turmoil and fear. Anxiety is the default mode for a lot of people. The rich, famous, and beautiful aren't sheltered from it by their wealth, so what hope to the rest of us have?

I want to tell you about a book that offers a compelling answer to that question. It's "a book about joy" written "to help you experience life to the fullest."

Brant Hansen’s Life Is Hard, God Is Good, Let's Dance: Experiencing Real Joy in a World Gone Mad came out early in 2024. Hansen is a Christian radio station DJ. He's not a pastor or a trained counsellor, and he's not pretending to be. Hansen is just telling us of the things he's seen and done and how it changed him.

Because of his work on the radio, Hansen has had the opportunity to tag along on a lot of medical mission trips. So he's seen some things. Some pretty awesome things. He shares those stories as well as some things that happened in the more mundane moments of his life. Twenty-six brief chapters remind us to open our eyes and see the wonder around us, notice the people in our lives, and to take little steps of kindness that may pay massive dividends. He helps us see the kingdom at work around us.

It also tends to be funny, especially if your sense of humor tends to the dry side:

"We’re supposed to be so hopeful that people wonder what’s up."
"One fun thing about living in a highly anxious, highly hurried society: When you’re relaxed, when you don’t freak out? It freaks people out."
"An investment plan that actually giggles. Who saw that coming?"

And then there's the story of him being invited to christen a newly opened restroom in India.

This isn't name-it-and-claim-it or some other theological nonsense on how to "live your best life now." It's about following Jesus and having fun in the process.

I read a lot of heavy stuff — apologetics, theology, history, philosophy. Even when I read Christian living, it tends to be meatier, like Gentle and Lowly or Union with Christ. This is light. But not frivolously light. It's like the cream skimmed off the top.

Gift-giving season is nearly upon us, and this would make a good gift for someone who reads but doesn't like heavily Christiany books. It would also be good for someone who's getting a little down on the church because of all the stories of awful things that have come out in recent years.

Or you could gift it to yourself. There's no shame in that. Sometimes you just need some stories that warm your heart. When you do, this will fit the bill nicely.


Image via Pixabay