August 9 1999

ARTICLE TOOLS

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The Bible talks plentifully about joy, but it nowhere talks about a "happy Christian." Happiness depends on what happens; joy does not. Remember, Jesus Christ had joy, and He prays "that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves."

Joy is not the same as pleasure or happiness. A wicked and evil man may have pleasure, while any ordinary mortal is capable of being happy. Pleasure generally comes from things, and always through the senses; happiness comes from humans through fellowship. Joy comes from loving God and neighbor. Pleasure is quick and violent, like a flash of lightning. Joy is steady and abiding, like a fixed star. Pleasure depends on external circumstances, such as money, food, travel, etc. Joy is independent of them, for it comes from a good conscience and love of God.

I once shared a platform with the nearly blind theologian Joseph Sittler, a man who really saw, and heard. He was asked, "If you had to reduce a call for reformation of the church to one sentence, what would it say?" His answer: "Watch your language." The rest—including action for justice—follows language, speech, encouragement, judgment, and the like.

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.

As far as God is revealed in the Bible, there is nothing at all that gives credence to that sentimental, undemanding attitude that says life should be easy and accommodating. Nothing I've read in scripture seems to have that attitude, so I think it's rather strange that some clergy try to pretend that it should. To my radical mode of thinking, at least at the moment … the whole point of ...