Book excerpt: Jesus came to bring joy to the world. What happened? In a world full of suffering, the declaration that God wants us to be joyful can sound tone-deaf at best or hypocritical at worst. In An Invitation to Joy, Daniel J. Denk invites readers to cast off hopelessness and rediscover joy. Yet, as Denk reminds us, “we don’t find joy by pursuing joy; we find it by pursuing something else,” namely, the kingdom of God. This joy is not naive optimism but a profound sense of purpose and peace. Throughout his reflections, Denk approaches the topic of Christian joy with sensitivity and nuance, supporting his argument with Scripture and theological scholarship. But An Invitation to Joy is not primarily academic—Denk is just as likely to share his personal experience or his favorite passages from Lord of the Rings, all in an easy manner akin to a friendly conversation over coffee. Life-affirming, empathetic, and, above all, joyful, An Invitation to Joy is a salve for the wounds of the world-weary. If you have lost your joy, this book will help you find it again.