Happiness and Joy

 March 1, 2023

Dr. Paul Hessert, my Systematic Theology professor in seminary, did his doctoral work in Edinburgh, Scotland. He used to tell us that he was convinced that John Knox’s dour Presbyterian theology was a product of the brooding Scottish climate. He may have been on to something there.

Today was one of the rare sunny spring days in Western New York. As I drove through the countryside to visit with a couple of friends, the fields alongside the narrow unpaved road leading to their house were dotted with cattle grazing and soaking up the sun (As an aside, my spell-check kept changing unpaved to unsaved. I wonder what that means?). The skies were deep blue above me, and the scene was serene. I don’t think it would have been possible for me to be downcast on a day like this.

It does make me wonder though, how much of my joy in Christ is actually joy in Christ, and how much of it is the result of my surroundings. I remember when I was just starting out as a pastor, speaking quite freely about the joy of being a Christian. Two years in Chicago, first in a group home for teenagers, and then as student pastor in a volatile neighborhood that was the crossroads of the Black, Eastern European, and Hispanic communities, made me question my previous theological certainty. Let’s face it: it’s easier being happy when our surroundings are happy. 

I learned back then, and occasionally have to re-learn all over again, that real Christian joy comes from within, and is unaffected by outer circumstances. In other words, we can be joyful even when we aren’t particularly happy at the moment. Joy comes from knowing I’m forgiven and chosen by God. When my outer surroundings are pleasant, it’s an added bonus of happiness to be enjoyed, but not confused with the Holy Spirit gift of joy. Today, I was privileged to experience both.