In ancient Egyptian mythology, Osiris is the god of the afterlife, the one who weighs a human life once it is complete. In one old telling, each soul stands before him and answers a series of questions. And then comes the one that matters most, in two parts:
- Did you find joy?
- And did you bring joy?
We are told we cannot lie to Osiris, and a lot is at stake. If we answer yes, there is continued life. If not, the myth says we are carried off and eaten by a hippopotamus. Setting aside the animal science, I love the main point of the myth: The purpose of life is to seek joy (for ourselves) and bring joy (to others).
That framing matters, especially because joy is often confused with happiness.
Happiness rises and falls with external conditions, what we ate, how we slept, how our bodies feel, how the day unfolds.
Joy runs deeper. Joy comes from within, from a sense of genuine rightness with how we are living our lives. As Bishop Desmond Tutu reminds us, joy is our birthright. It is not a mood. It is a way of being, a choice we make together, again and again.
Seen this way, joy becomes a form of resistance.
There are forces in the world that depend on our exhaustion and discouragement. When we lose our capacity for joy, we shrink. When we stay connected to it, we remain present, available to one another, and able to keep doing the work that calls us. Joy helps us stay in the conversation, stay in relationship, stay human.
I think about my maternal grandfather here. He experienced deep losses, relinquished social privilege, and spent his life working alongside indigenous communities for education and land rights. When I once asked him what sustained him, he said, simply, “A zest for life.”
Joy did not spare him grief or loss. But it kept him engaged, generous, and turned toward others.
Choosing joy does not mean life will be easy. It means learning to see how wide and precious life still is, even in the midst of pain and loss. So when we talk about practicing resistance, joy is not a distraction. It is part of how we keep showing up. And if Osiris really is waiting, I hope we can answer honestly: yes, I found joy. And yes, I shared it.
For Further Reflection
- Has joy ever been an “act of resistance” for you?
- Has your resistance to change grown or eased as you’ve gotten older?
- How is your corner of the world calling you to help save it?
- How might resistance be calling you to rest?
