From its very beginning, Christianity has been the proclamation of joy as read in the Christmas story of the gospel of Luke. Joy is a spacious way of seeing the world—one that embraces the full, messy, beautiful fabric of human experience. It stands in sharp contrast to cynicism, which shrinks and distorts life, while joy ennobles it, rooted in the belief that we are deeply loved by God. In the Christian story, joy is both the source and the expression of true holiness: a life open, compassionate, and connected in love.