It’s still Easter! We may need to look harder to find joy this year, but there are still signs of goodness and humor around us. Here are a few things that have given me a sense of the joy of Easter:
1. “Alexa, let us pray”. I used to be skeptical of using technological aids for prayer, but the British Jesuits’ “Pray as You Go” app has helped me stay more focused in my prayer life, so I am excited to share that it is now available through Amazon Alexa.
2. “Do you have anything to eat?” the Risen Jesus asked his stunned disciples. This passage gives me great joy because it means that the resurrected body is still capable of enjoying food! One vicarious food enjoyment I have indulged in is videos from Chinese blogger Li Ziqi, who uses traditional methods to make Sichuan food. This video all about garlic is particularly enchanting:
3. Laughter is the best medicine. The internet is chock full of funny content these days. ICYMI, here are some wholesome memes, some work from home specific, and some home school specific. Also, for those fans of darker humor, this video consistently makes me laugh:
I’ve watched this 10 times and it just gets better every time. pic.twitter.com/AwzdPUGBFQ
— mommaunfiltered (@MommaUnfiltered) April 19, 2020
4. Reconnecting with nature. This year I am much more in tune with the changes of Spring in the environment outside my window. Whether listening to the birdsong or searching for the fleeting glimpse of the fox, I feel connected and healed by nature. This poem from Wendell Berry captures the sentiment well:
5. Witty art history on Twitter. My favorite recent follow has got to be @PP_Rubens who posts works from Renaissance and Baroque painters and highlights details with lighthearted and trivial commentary, like this on a painting of the beheading of John the Baptist:
Women messing with men's heads du jour: Delicate and well-dressed, Salome had not fully conceptualized the job of carrying a severed head back to the party. By Jacob Duck. pic.twitter.com/OaLqpOl7om
— Dr. Peter Paul Rubens (@PP_Rubens) April 27, 2020
6. #BachAThon on Twitter. Beautiful music and cool videos of musicians in their homes. The footwork in this video is intense:
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could fill twitter with Bach instead of cancellations, fear & sadness? Time for a virtual Bach-a-thon!
Post a video of some Bach &, if you are able, donate to @HelpMusiciansUK to support those musicians struggling. #BachAThonhttps://t.co/bZVoWIq5cy pic.twitter.com/NOWr2uhOFr
— Anna Lapwood (@annalapwood) March 17, 2020
7. Nuns Playing Basketball. I mean who can’t appreciate that? Plus “Shaq’s” commentary gets real metaphysical.
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Cover photo by Andre Furtado on Pexels.
