A Clergymans's Guide To Happiness
How is a clergyman's perspective on happiness different from the average person's?
I think one of the key things about working as a pastor is that you are often there for pivotal moments in people's lives. You're there at their weddings, you're there at baptisms, you're there at births, you're there at death. People come to you with all kinds of problems or with their joys. So you really experience the sort of heightened moments, quite often, in people's lives. Those moments can be incredible insights into what makes us tick as human beings and in what brings us joy, and what builds us up, and what breaks us down. So I think as we look at happiness in our own lives and in the lives of other people, I think just because of the place we are at, in terms of people's willingness to open up or be vulnerable with you, that you get a lot more opportunity and insight.
What can others learn about happiness from a clergyman?
Happiness is not necessarily related to station in life. It's not necessarily related to your wealth. It's not necessarily related to what's going on in the world around you. That's really much more of an interaction with the interior and really what you're doing with yourself in the face of what's around you.
How does religion address the issue of happiness?
I would say that religion addresses happiness in so far as it deals with the core issues of existence and purpose in life. And everybody struggles with that throughout their lives. There's an incredible amount of unhappiness that is generated in our lives when we feel lost. Religion, it its best forms, is a place where people come together in community, and offer to support each other and ask the tough questions, so that, number one, you're not alone in your struggle to figure out your purpose and what brings joy.
How does the Episcopal tradition address the issue of happiness?
In terms of my particular tradition in the Episcopal church, the fact that we build those connections not just through community but through history by trying to connect ourselves to ancient liturgy and traditions so that, that you are connected through time and connected to a wonderful tradition of people who really grapple with the use of their mind and use of reason, it is one of the corner stones of the Anglican tradition in terms of approaching faith and scripture. So, that what you think and what you experience and feel and in addition to what you read goes to informing your relationship with god and with everyone else. So I think that notion of being in a community over a period of time really adds a lot to our lives as we struggle with our true happiness.
Are religious people happier?
People who practice religion may on the whole be happier. But it's also my experience that in the church, the church is often a place for wounded people. A lot of people come with their wounds and I don't think necessarily having wounds precludes happiness. In fact I think they are rather interconnected. I think we have to deal with our suffering and our vulnerability in order to know real happiness because one of the things that I think is core to our happiness index is our ability to be connected. And that's what religion in its best forms is really about. How are we going to connect with God and with one another.
How can spirituality support our happiness?
At its best, I think a religious life supports our happiness when... when it gives us the tools to go deeper into ourselves and to realize our diving essence. I believe that we are all created by and connected to God, the ultimate divine... the force that has shaped and created all of creation. And when we alienate ourselves from that creation and alienate ourselves from ourselves; we cut ourselves off from the creator as well. And the more we can journey into the truth of our ultimate connection to God and each other, I think the more joy we do find in our lives, the more happiness we do find in our lives. It's just that willingness to embrace that journey with other people because we can't do it alone. Left to our own devices, I don't believe we can do it alone.
