The Joy of community. Beethoven’s familiar piece, “Ode to Joy”, is a celebration of human community and the joy found in nature. I guess you could say it is the joy found in the web of life. The poet Friederich Shiller, who wrote the poem that Beethoven used, saw joy as a unifying and divine force, celebrating the interconnectedness of all humanity (and all things) and the beauty of life. Think about, and make a list of, the times you experienced joy in nature and in the various communities of which you have been and are a part.