The Pursuit of Happiness

After an extended absence I return to the virtual land to post a blog. There is evidence that I may have inadvertently deleted someone's comment. I apologize if I did so. Your input matters to me, as does posting it to share with others.

‘Tis the season for my annual plug to read the Declaration of Independence and/or the Constitution. You can read part of the Declaration now:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Although the right to pursue happiness is not listed in the Constitution it does carry legal weight. It is defined as “the right to pursue any legal activity as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others,” (Webster’s New World Law Dictionary). The legal minds behind that definition were not concerned about how one pursues happiness just as long as it doesn’t interfere with someone else’s pursuit. The application of that principle has proved a little tricky. So, the value of the pursuit of happiness endures, while we struggle to know how to do it. How do we pursue happiness?
Jefferson wrote the phrase in the Declaration, but didn’t invent it. It was a phrase being batted about by thinkers of the day including two as diverse as Dr. Samuel Johnson and John Locke. Johnson observed that his country (England) was lacking in what he called, “civil wisdom.” He wrote, “We are still so much unacquainted with our own state, and so unskillful in the pursuit of happiness….” (The Surprising Origins and Meaning of the “Pursuit of Happiness”, Carol V. Hamilton, George Mason University’s History News Network, 1-28-2007). Two and a quarter centuries later Johnson would likely conclude we still lack civil wisdom. Isn’t it also true that we remain unacquainted with our own state, and unskillful in the pursuit of happiness?
Jesus didn’t have a lot to say about civics. (Or did He?) He did say quite a bit about the pursuit of happiness. One place we find that teaching is in Matthew 5:1-12. These verses include The Beatitudes, such as: Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. The word translated “blessed” could also be translated “happy.” Some Bible translations do so: Happy are the poor in spirit. Happy are the merciful. Happy are the pure in heart.
Although we think “happy” is often used to describe something superficial, the pursuit of happiness matters a great deal. In nearly all of Jesus’ teaching He addresses the very things Johnson said we lack: Jesus acquaints us with our own state and describes how to pursue happiness. That is worth some serious reflection. I recommend we take time to be grateful to God that the pursuit of happiness is a nationally preserved value. Simultaneously, I recommend a reflection on at least the Beatitudes to help us consider how Jesus is telling us to pursue and find that happiness.
The pursuit of happiness detailed by Jesus works. It is for every person. It is usually legal.

Pastor Chuck