Happiness is serious business. The American Declaration of Independence enshrines the right to pursue it. The University of British Columbia has a professor of happiness economics. And happiness is the topic of an article — “Behind The Smile” — in the July 26th 2004 issue of Newsweek (International Edition).
In his survey article, Richard Ernsberger Jr., comes up with conclusions that should come as no surprise to Christians. He cites John Helliwel, professor of happiness economics at the University of British Columbia, in debunking the belief that “high levels of material satisfaction should produce happiness”.
Instead, we should we should heed Richard Layard, codirector of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, who believes that “satisfying relationships” have a greater impact on one’s happiness than income, which is “not very important.”
Christians have often being accused of being too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good. Yet time and time again, empirical studies like the above have borne out the truths of Scripture.
The sad truth is that we are told many times a day, in very creative ways, that if we purchase enough of the right things we will be happy. So much of advertising is directed at creating feelings of dissatisfaction in us that makes us want things. (Erick Clark entitles his book on advertising, “The Wantmakers” 1988).
Indeed Ernsberger Jr. begins his article by citing the results of a recent World Value Survey by an international group of social scientists that “decided that the world’s happiest people lived in Nigeria”. If most of our advertisers were telling us the truth, we would expect Americans to be the happiest people as they “work hard, earn lots of money and spend gleefully on iPods, flat screen TVs, SUVs and all sorts of expensive fripperies”.
What is scary is the fact that the DNA of the free market economy is built around the public consumption of goods and services. As more and more societies embrace this life style of material consumption, more and more people will be spending more and more time in working for, buying, enjoying, and paying off, goods and services. Which means less and less time and energy for relationships and community.
I am not here to argue against the free market consumer economy. For one thing I am not qualified to do so. I have no formal training in economics. I suspect it may be the least evil among available alternatives. Like democracy.
I am just calling it as I see it. And I see that most advertisements push food and clothing, the very things Jesus told us not to be concerned about (Matthew 6:25-34). I am sure that Jesus is not saying that food and clothing are not important. He is merely saying that we are not to build our lives around the pursuit of those things.
I also see Jesus, who when called upon to summarize the heart of true faith, summarizes it by mentioning two key relationships:
“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength… You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Mark 12:29-31 NRSV
You see the problem? On one hand we are told by Scripture and by honest scientific observation that true happiness is a by-product of relationships. Yet we live in a world that tells us everyday that happiness comes from acquiring things.
The path to true fulfilment means that we begin each day by taking the red pill of enlightenment. We understand the value of things. But we heed Alexander Solzhenitsyn when he speaks through the character Shulubin in “Cancer Ward”: “One should never direct people towards happiness, because happiness too is an idol of the market-place.”
Instead we embrace the primacy of relationships. It means we make room in our lives to nurture our relationships with others. It means we make room in our lives to nurture our relationship with God.
It is said that the prospect of death helps you to focus on what is truly important. At the end of 2Timothy, Paul is in prison expecting that he will die soon. He writes to his disciple and colleague Timothy and asks for three things. (2Timothy 4:9-18)
1. He asks for Timothy’s presence. (v.9; 21)
2. He asks for his coat. (v.13)
3. He asks for his books and parchments, probably some portions of the Old Testament. (v.13)
He asks for his coat because the winter is going to be cold. And Paul is old. We are creatures of flesh as well. We need certain things to function. We do need clothes and food.
But we can’t do without human companionship. Paul wishes to see Timothy. He wants his company. Paul wants him to come before winter because he is afraid he may not be alive by Spring.
And Paul wants his books and parchments. He wants his “bible”. Yes Paul has direct access to God though the Spirit. But he also wants his bible because he knows how important that is for his communion with his Lord.
Here then is the secret of the apostle Paul, a man who writes most about joy when he is in prison. (Check his letter to the Philippians.) He knows that true joy comes from communion with God, and the companionship of friends. Paul may not be able to teach us about happiness. But he can show us the path to true joy.
Love the Lord. Love people.
Your brother, Soo-Inn