THROUGH UNTRUE

Our Gospel reading today seems to suggest that if you are enjoying your life now, you can expect great sorrow and pain in the future (Luke 6:24-26). Conversely, if you are currently poor, weeping, hungry, hated, excluded, or insulted, then happiness is the reward awaiting you (Luke 6:20-23). Is Jesus telling us that life is either “heaven, all the way to hell” or “hell, all the way to heaven”?

Certainly not. The Gospel reading likely offers two important lessons about happiness that we often overlook. The first is this: In life, joy is often inseparable from deep sorrow, as we cannot truly appreciate one without experiencing the other. Jesus urges us to embrace the full spectrum of life’s experiences, so we can let go of any illusions we may have about happiness.

For example, if you feel extremely happy due to your success, Jesus encourages you to remember that such happiness is temporary, no matter how hard you try to prolong it. Besides, “nothing fails like success.” Success can be deeply disappointing if you view it as the pinnacle of your life. You may try to mask your disappointment by comparing your happiness to that of others. But this does not make you any happier. It only makes you proud or envious.
According to the 2024 Happiness Index by GlobalEconomy.com, the Philippines ranks 52nd out of 138 countries, with Finland in first place and Afghanistan in last. The survey measures happiness through factors like material wealth, leisure, GDP, and sustainability.

But can happiness be quantified? People in Finland may appear wealthy, successful, and content, but appearances can be deceiving. The more we fixate on the quality and duration of our happiness, the more it eludes us. Happiness in this world is inherently incomplete, fragmentary, and fleeting, an indication that God made us for Himself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.

The second lesson is this: if you are currently struggling with sickness, problems, or unexpected tragedies, don’t think of happiness as your reward in the distant future. When we view happiness this way, our lives become more like business plans than biographies. Our talents become tools to “manufacture” happiness. We become machines instead of living, breathing individuals. Regardless of how bleak our present circumstances are, we can choose to be happy now.

A simple way to do this is to let go of the notion that life is merely a long stretch of work and waiting for a distant goal of perfect bliss. Instead, we can immerse ourselves fully in a present activity, to the point of losing all awareness of both the outcome and the passage of time. In my youth, I was an avid tennis player. During intense matches, I experienced what the Greeks referred to as ecstasis (ecstasy), meaning "to be outside oneself." I became so absorbed in the game that I was entirely unaware of both myself and my surroundings. Engaging deeply, not only in sports but in any activity that demands our full attention, can evoke a profound sense of joy.

The philosopher Henry David Thoreau once wrote that he maintained a happy life by spending at least four hours a day walking. He despised sitting for long periods, which he considered a form of suicide. Sadly, for most of us today, walking often means simply traveling on foot or engaging in physical exercise to lose weight or shed body fat.

Worse still, in the digital age, our fingers now do the walking, often leading us through mindless activities like “surfing the web.” According to Time magazine, 77 percent of people feel worse about their lives after spending a lot of time on social media.

I fear the day will come when people walk like sad, dejected apes, with heads and shoulders slumped, with oversized fingers (due to texting and computing,) shriveled brains (due to lack of use,) and monstrous behinds (due to endless sitting.)