Sustained by Joy

What does it mean to center joy and soul-care in the work of justice? In June’s “We Conspire” series, Brittney Jackson of Faith Matters Network (FMN) invites us to consider the profound impact of community support on the journey of healing and wellbeing. “The importance of joy in the journey of healing and transformation is the realization that I feel safe,” Jackson explains. “So much of joy happens, not in isolation, but within community. Every organization, every person needs the support of the community.”    

Faith Matters Network (FMN) describes itself as an innovative organization centered on womanist wisdom. For FMN, “A womanist is one who values the soul and the well-being of the Black community. FMN extends this to value the soul and well-being of a wider, national, and global diasporic community.” [1] FMN is committed to fostering community and safety where people can feel both led and rested. By focusing on “connection, spiritual sustainability, and accompaniment,” the organization supports “spiritually grounded leaders in their journey to heal themselves and their communities.” [2] FMN envisions a path forward for social movements by prioritizing sustainable practices that nurture spiritual renewal.   

“There is no sustainability without joy,” Jackson asserts. “Womanist theology invites us to shift the idea that spiritual sustainability will only continue if there is a reward embedded in it or to tie our worth or any part of our identity to outdated theological beliefs.” Jackson challenges the notion of maintaining a spiritual life that doesn’t benefit us daily, stating that it’s neither motivational nor aspirational to suffer daily.   

Womanist theology originates from a place of wholeness and existence, deeply rooted in a real, tangible, everyday faith, which has been the lifeline of Black women. Coined by the author Alice Walker, the term “womanist” comes from art, not academia. Womanist theology emerged out of necessity, to fill the void of what was missing and espouses that joy is nourishing and should be accessible throughout the journey, not tied to outcomes. Joy is not a reward for enduring harshness or suffering; it is a spiritual practice and a human right.  

FMN embodies womanist values by promoting leadership shaped by Black women’s experiences and insights. The organization “seeks to dismantle intersecting systems of oppression—including racism, sexism, classism, and more—while uplifting the voices and needs of those who have been marginalized and silenced.” [3] Through initiatives such as Movement Chaplaincy, Spiritual Innovation and Learning Journeys, FMN cultivates leaders across diverse religious traditions and lineage. “History has meant that we are constantly evolving and adapting to what’s happening in the world around us,” Jackson notes. “We continually ask ourselves how we can be stronger advocates for spiritually grounded leaders across the country.”     

The Learning Journey program “Rooted in Resilience,” is one way FMN advocates for communal spaces where leaders can experience connection and joy as sustainability without the expectation or requirement for output. While prioritizing Black women and nonbinary people, each multiracial, multifaith, and multigenerational cohort explores “three main learning objectives: the importance of sabbath/shabbat, repairing legacies of harm and exploitation, and meeting the scale of power needed to transform the world without abandoning their values or people.” [4] “In Rooted in Resilience, no one has to earn their joy or have to give something in exchange for being there,” Jackson emphasizes.    

Jackson adds that there is no checklist for joy. Joy doesn’t have to be experienced the same way for everyone, but when joy is present, it is evidence of soul care work. Audre Lorde wrote in the epilogue of A Burst of Light that “….caring for myself….is self-preservation.” [5] FMN believes that rest and spiritual care are essential to rewriting the harmful narratives perpetuated by our current democracy. Jackson adds that contemplation gives us the space to fully see what’s happening around us, sit with the examples, feelings, and arrangements, while being present to what’s trapping us, and truly experience it. In the midst of all these things, contemplation allows us to name them. We can acknowledge that all these things are happening and still choose joy.  

“The presence of joy is an indicator of whether or not we’re on the right or wrong path,” Jackson concludes. “If we’re not experiencing moments of joy that keep us sustained, then what are we doing?”    

References:  
[1] Faith Matters Network, “About” Faith Matters Network, https://faithmattersnetwork.org/about. Accessed June 3, 2025.  

[2] Faith Matters Network, “About.”  

[3] Faith Matters Network, “About.”  

[4] Faith Matters Network, “Welcoming New Rooted in Resilience Fellows,” Faith Matters Network, https://faithmattersnetwork.org/2025/03/welcoming-new-rooted-in-resilience-fellows/. Accessed June 3, 2025.  

[5] Audre Lorde, A Burst of Light and Other Essays, Firebrand Books, 1988, 98.  

Reflect with Us  
What does joy look like in your life when you’re not performing or producing? How might you embrace rest, care, and community not as luxuries, but as necessary parts of your spiritual practice? Share your reflection with us.    

“We Conspire” is a series from the Center for Action and Contemplation featuring wisdom and stories from the growing Christian contemplative movement. Sign up for the monthly email series and receive a free invitation to practice each month.