Citizen Columns
Question
What does your religion say about happiness?
Answer
Happiness is what God ultimately desires for all of us, and He implanted within us the natural instinct to seek joy, satisfaction, pleasure and contentment. St Innocent of Alaska (1797-1879) said, “Everyone, whoever he may be, desires and seeks prosperity and happiness. To desire what is good for oneself and to seek prosperity or happiness is part of human nature.” But earthly happiness can never be anything more than partial and temporary. “We need to know that here on earth there has not been, and is not, and never will be true and perfect happiness and prosperity. No one will ever find true happiness and perfect prosperity without God or outside God.”
What’s more, God’s way turns upside-down our notions of happiness. Consider what Jesus says leads to a blessed and happy life, as in “The Beatitudes” sung every Sunday in the Orthodox Church (Matthew 5: 3-12). Happiness emerges from an attitude of humility, gentleness and meekness, not taking the first place or pushing ourselves forward. Happiness comes to those who sincerely mourn over the world’s misery and their own poor efforts to love God and neighbor. Those who strive to keep themselves pure in the face of a carnal, vulgar and self-indulgent world will discover the happiness of seeing God. Those who are merciful towards those who offend and hurt will find happiness in generosity of spirit rather than in angry revenge. Thirsting and hungering for truth, justice and goodness leads to happiness. So does putting ourselves out to make peace in a hostile and aggressive world, even when that world mocks, slanders and persecutes those who live this way in the name of Christ. But Christ’s way means living in hope of a deeper happiness that not even death can take away. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”
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