The American Constitution, among other things, guarantees ‘the pursuit of happiness,’ – not happiness itself, just the pursuit of it. One cynic claimed that happiness is built on the unhappiness of others. Albert Schweitzer thought that happiness was nothing more than good health and a poor memory. But I think C. S. Lewis was right when he said: ‘We try to be our own masters as if we had created ourselves. Then we hopelessly strive to invent some sort of happiness for ourselves apart from the one who did create us. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history…the long terrible story of people trying to find something other than God, which will make them happy.’
That’s why Jesus said: ‘Happy are those who long to be just and good, for they shall be completely satisfied.’