Dalai Lama and Tutu
The joyful friendship of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu provide a framework for the Global Joy Summit. (Photo Courtesy of the Global Joy Summit)
After the stresses and strains of its past three years, from COVID-19 restrictions and delays through disaffiliations and contentious meetings, United Methodists could certainly use some joy in their lives. What's more, they could stand to learn how joy – which is not the same thing as happiness – can be developed as an ongoing spiritual discipline that transforms lives. Toward those ends, the Global Joy Summit may be an experieence that can revive weary souls.
"Now, more than ever, the world needs each of us to tap into the love, compassion, and Joy that the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu remind us are at the core of our beings," said a release on the event.
Sponsored by the Fetzer Institute of Kalamazoo, Mich., the Global Joy Summit takes place Nov. 13-16 with free access to videos of its sessions available for 48 hours after each day's events. Sessions will be released daily at 6 p.m. ET on the summit's home page.
The summit will begin with an online "watch party" to view the movie, "Mission: JOY," an account of the friendship between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the late Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. United Methodists may remember that Archbishop Tutu spent two years teaching and preaching at UMC-related Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., from 1998 to 2000.
Themes for each of the summit are:
Day 1: Watch Party Mission JOY Movie, Sun., Nov. 13
Day 2: The Inseparability of Joy and Sorrow, Mon., Nov. 14
Day 3: Joy Is an Inside (Out) Job, Tues., Nov. 15
Day 4: Interconnection and Ubuntu, Wed., Nov. 16
Among the speakers scheduled for the event according to the summit announcement are:
Valerie June, The Power of Black Joy, Nov. 15. Inspiring singer-songwriter, Grammy-nominee, and author Valeria June shares her take on the power of black joy in an interview with Rodney McKenzie, Jr., VP of Ally Development at Fetzer.
Chude Jideonwo, Joy in Our Economic and Social Systems, Nov. 16. Entrepreneur and joy activist Chude Jideonwo shares wisdom on how joy can transform our major economic and social systems. This day's theme is Interconnection and Ubuntu.
Doug Adams, Joy and Resilience in Our Stories, Nov. 16. Author Doug Adams (co-author with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu of The Book of Joy) joins pastoral counselor Pamela Ayo Yetunde, author of Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community, and Fetzer VP of World Religions and Spirituality Bill Vendley to talk about the power of our individual and collective stories. This day's theme is Interconnection and Ubuntu.
Interested persons can register here.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011. This content may be reproduced elsewhere with credit to United Methodist Insight.