Just got back from South Korea, and I spent a couple of days at the Kwanglim Prayer Mountain (a retreat center). It’s not too far from Seoul, so I used to head there pretty often to pray and recharge. It’s this cool mix of modern and traditional vibes—the perfect spot to really go deep in prayer. But honestly, the best part about the retreat center wasn’t just the prayer time, it was bumping into some of my GMC pastor colleagues from North Carolina Annual Conference! It’s always awesome to connect with them outside the craziness of ministry life. Those unexpected catch-ups were a real treat.

The retreat center itself is pretty amazing. You can tell they put a lot of thought into every detail, from the buildings to the artwork. But there was one thing that really stuck with me: this drawing called “Jesus’ Laughing.” It was hanging in the main lobby of Kwanglim Church and even in some of the rooms at the retreat center. It’s a simple pencil sketch, but it shows Jesus with this big, genuine smile.

Turns out, there’s a powerful story behind it. A young guy at Kwanglim Church, a super talented soccer player, had a terrible accident. He landed wrong during a header and ended up paralyzed. He was devastated, his whole life was turned upside down. The church’s senior pastor at that time, the late Bishop Sun-Doo Kim, visited him and encouraged him to try painting since he was always artistic. So, with incredible courage and determination, he put a brush in his mouth and started to paint and his very first painting was “Jesus’ Laughing.” Now, the original hangs in the church lobby, and everyone sees it as they walk in. Hearing that story from the church’s associate pastor really hit me hard.

To be honest, the drawing kind of shocked me at first. We’re so used to seeing Jesus portrayed with this serious, somber expression. Like he’s always in deep thought or agonizing over something. But a smiling Jesus? It made me realize how much my own preconceptions had shaped my image of him.

When Jesus was holding those little kids and blessing them, I bet he was smiling. When Mary poured out that expensive perfume, he probably had this look of pure love on his face. And when he was sharing meals with his disciples, I doubt he was all grumpy and serious. He was probably cracking jokes and enjoying the food like, “Man, this fish is amazing!” We miss out on that side of Jesus sometimes.

There’s a time for mourning and seriousness in our faith for sure, I get it. But after the tears and repentance, there should be joy! Jesus promised us peace. If we’re not experiencing that peace, something’s off.

The other day, someone emailed me saying I looked tired. Ouch. But you know what? It was a wake-up call. We, as Christians, need to show up with energy and joy. I think a lot of us Christians, myself included, need a “face repentance.” God wants us to have faces that radiate joy, gratitude, and peace—like angels! But we walk around with these serious, burdened expressions like that’s what makes us holy.

Let’s rediscover Jesus’s joy. Let’s show up in the world with good vibes and life, not exhaustion and gloom. Let’s ditch the “Grinch face” and let our expressions reflect the joy of our faith. It’s time for a face repentance, y’all!