“The Search for Happiness” – A Great Place to Start in Renewing the Church?

What on earth am I talking about, you well may ask. Happiness: that shallow, ephemeral, fleeting condition? Is that the place to start creating a new church for a new day? And yet, if we did want to go on a journey of envisioning the kind of church full inclusive ministry and leadership might create, exploring what brings happiness, or, more profoundly, fulfillment and joy might be an enlightening place to start.

I was inspired in this by an article in the November 2017 issue of National Geographic entitled “The World’s Happiest Places”. Not to keep you in suspense, they are: Costa Rica, Denmark, and Singapore. The places themselves are important; immigrants to these countries who arrived in deep distress carrying their suffering with them, soon reported the same happiness level of those who were native-born. Article author, Dan Buettner concluded: “Seemingly their (new) environment alone accounted for their increased happiness.”

Recreating aspects of those environments in our own church, therefore, I thought might bring the freshness and inspiration we need as we grapple with the great questions of life, death, meaning, and God’s will.

Costa Rican society stresses and promotes “feeling joy every day, health, faith, family” by helping people make daily choices that favor time with friends they can count on, a strong faith life, and emphasis on family and community involvement. Interestingly, unlike many Latin American and other countries across the world, Costa Rica has historically elected teachers and educators as leaders, those who were not bound to, or oppressed by, “corrosive colonial institutions” and, thus, led the population into an upward spiral of well-being and a preservation of their true heritage. What if our church hierarchy was made of the same stuff, rather than caught up in its own smothering entrenchment? What if our church, while acknowledging and comforting the suffering, did more to promulgate joy and well-being as its antidote?

Denmark has placed its civic emphasis on “trust and community”. The history of this transformation goes back to when Denmark lost a quarter of its territory to Prussia.” Danish sociologist, Peter Gundelach claims: “With that defeat, we lost our ambition to be a world superpower. It humbled us. Our government began to strengthen our national identity and build inward instead.” This focus has led the country to ensure its residents’ lifetime health and well-being needs were covered, which “enable people to live a purposeful life better than anywhere else.” Over 40% of the population volunteers for civic groups, recognizing that helping others helps themselves. What if our church lost its ambition to be a superpower dictating to its subjects and instead became a champion and facilitator of our living our lives as true children of God, with all of us, all genders, leading the way? What if our church humbled itself and focused on both inward enrichment and outward service, on enhancing purpose-filled lives?

In Singapore the emphasis is on finding happiness through pride of accomplishment. When Singapore gained independence in 1965, its leader, Lee Kuan Yew stressed ancient Asian values in the society he forged: “harmony, respect, and hard work”. Interestingly, the newly formed country rewarded all those who tried to work, at no matter how mean a job, with living wages and subsidized healthcare and housing. In this multi-ethnic nation, he guaranteed freedom of religion and education for all. Although they may strive for material success and work long hours, Singapore’s people are also highly philanthropic; they are committed to respecting others and themselves and have created a culture in which people take pride in their values, in achieving their goals, and in having a sense of belonging. What if our church paid more attention to its values in an ever-evolving world? What if it regained our respect and helped us to be more respected as we help it become more respectful? What if it fostered a new sense of belonging, of justifiable pride in its mission and its whole community, including women and others who are marginalized by ancient traditions and lack of foresight? 

We don’t need to live in Costa Rica, Denmark, or Singapore to achieve our own happiness, fulfillment, joy, purpose, pride of accomplishment, supportive, caring, sustainable community. I would argue we don’t need to flee to other denominations, religions, or secular options either; we probably do not even need to start our own small outcrops of church, although that has its own joys and rewards. We really may have all we need right here in our own church if we can pressure, cajole, protest, and persist long enough to bring it all to the forefront.