The secret of happiness

It’s Happiness Week in Britain! In a five-day experiment with 5,000 volunteers, British psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman is trying to find which one of a number of techniques is most effective in cheering people up.

At first glance – and not surprisingly – God doesn’t seem to feature in the techniques. But then again, performing acts of kindness and expressing gratitude for the good things in our lives are closer to biblical ideas than many things people do to make themselves happy, such as shopping.

A more fundamental way of creating happiness is to put injustices right. Sadly, it seems that many people in Zimbabwe are not so sure that the government’s call for reconciliation will work. Yet if anywhere needs reconciliation and happiness, surely it’s Zimbabwe.

Last week saw the death of someone who had worked hard for justice and reconciliation in her own country. Former Philippines President Corazon Aquino became president in 1986 following a so-called People’s Revolution. All of this was sparked by the murder of her politician husband and presidential candidate Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino in 1983.

Injustice and deception were a disappointing dimension of Jacob’s life. But as we see in this week’s readings, a measure of reconciliation came to his family – at a price. Happiness is not always easily found.

Emlyn Williams