BLOGGING TOWARD SUNDAY…

There’s a new book out with the intriguing title, Gross National Happiness:  Why Happiness Matters for America — and How We Can Get More of It.  Written by Arthur Brooks, the book says that the idea that those not bound by the constraints of religion are happier than those who are is false.

According to the author, those who have no moral constraints on their activities have less happiness.  “If you honestly have beliefs, if you have values and adhere to them, that will give you peace,” he says. 

As a general rule, he is correct, but even he admits that there are exceptions:  people who see God as a condemning deity, ready to pounce and punish for each and every transgression, and those who believe, but don’t actively practice their faith.

Which points out two central concerns for us as Christians:

1.  One of our central beliefs is that in Jesus we see what God is really like.  We need to remind ourselves of this as often as those scary images of the great policeman in the sky pop up.

2.  Faith without works is nothing.  Authentic faith manifests itself in acts of compassion.  So if we want to monitor our progress in the walk, just ask, “Am I more compassionate today than yesterday?”

Filed under: Blogging Toward Sunday