The Pursuit of Happiness

In the wake of the mass consumption associated with contemporary celebrations of Christmas, and anticipating the celebration of the new year and all the "resolutions" we'll bring into it, I've been thinking about the age old "pursuit of happiness."  It's foundational to our existence in the modern West. And because it shapes much of life as we and others in our society know it, it's a pursuit  we need to reflect on, as those called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this time and place.

Yet the meaning of "happiness," and how we pursue it, have not been steady throughout history.  And I've found that studying the history of an idea, especially one as central to human experience as "happiness," is one of the best ways to learn about our own culture and its assumptions about life.  I'm hoping soon to have time to pick up Darrin McMahon's new book, Happiness: A History.  But I was happy (pardon the pun) to come across a short reflection on this topic by Wilfred McClay, in an article called "A Short History of Happiness: Fragile, But Not Illusory."

McClay surveys some of the major approaches to happiness throughout history -- from the passive view of the homeric era to the self-generated happiness of today. He also reflects on what he thinks are some of the distinct differences in a Christian approach to happiness - including the facts that we manage our expections of "this life" very differently (or we should), and we've learned (or should have) that happiness is not so much something we self-consciously watch happen to ourselves as it is something that characterizes a life in pursuit of the good of others, a life in which blessedness often comes in the form of God redeeming our suffering. The article is full of great quotes that will stick in your head -- there's some good sermon material here, and some good reminders for those called to live as a community that stands out.