It is part of the trinity of rights we as Americans treasure – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Embedded in the second paragraph of our Declaration of Independence, the founders believed that these three things – among others – are given to us from God. I have always noticed that while the first two are plainly written, the third is not guaranteed; it is something we must strive to make for ourselves. Thus, the Happiness Conundrum. A conundrum is, simply, a problem or concept that is difficult to solve. What, for you, defines happiness? For so many people, having a happy place to go to holds their troubles at bay, at least for a little while. Are we supposed to be happy, and what does God have to do with it? Does it even matter to God if we are happy?
I think of myself as a happy person, and I try to make others happy as well. This isn’t foolproof, and I am always trying to get better at this happiness quest, but there are things in this world that seem to want to crush my happiness. For me, being present with God and God’s people makes me happy, even though it seems like church, for too many people, is a chore. Chores are often not happiness producers, hence the name. The origin of chore in English is “char” – think charcoal – it was something hard and dirty, but useful, and dangerous when hot. Not a pleasant thing, but often necessary. Think “charwoman/man”. Anyway – being with people who love God and each other should be a source of happiness, but too often it can feel toxic and mean.
The deeper question for me is this: do I make God happy? I grew up believing that my inner life and my outer life mattered to God. I don’t mean this only in a personal lifestyle way; I mean it in the way I treat others. How I treat the earth – how I spend my money – how I care for the least among us. All those topics that Jesus spent so much time teaching His disciples about still matter to God, so they should matter to me. Do I respect all people, regardless of race, creed, color, culture, or gender? Do I get in the way of people’s pursuit of happiness? Do I inhibit their lives and liberty? If, in the living of my life, seeking my liberty, and pursuing my happiness, I do or act in ways that stop others from doing the same, I am, according to our founding beliefs as a nation, going against God’s desires. I can’t imagine that this kind of behavior would make God happy.
My happiness – my freedom – my rights – only go as far as me. Once they extend beyond me and injure others, I am not pleasing God. That is the conundrum, but it is foundational to my faith and my patriotism. I can be happy, but not if it hurts others. It is the difference between democracy and tyranny. It is a balance that is necessary for all of us to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Prayer – Holy and merciful God, who gave each one of us the possibilities of happiness and wholeness, help us to share that with others. Amen.
Today’s art is “Happy” by Harry Geerts.