American Election News

by Sam Brownback

This article originally appeared in CNSNews.

“Joy to the World” sings the old Christmas carol. In a tiny manger, away from the seats of power and riches, a tiny baby was born to a virgin girl. And, miracle of miracles, it was God himself who had entered into the human story.

It is good to remember at this time of the year that the Christian understanding of joy is distinct from the pursuit of pleasure, something that has become a full-time avocation for all too many of us.

Many in my generation, the baby boomers, have pursued pleasure, and they’ve found it. But ultimately, we realize, mere pleasure does not satisfy the deepest yearnings of the soul.

So now we’re after something more profound and ultimately more satisfying — true joy. And I think that’s actually more in keeping with our times and this season. The song is “Joy to the World,” not “Pleasure to the World” after all.

What is this understanding of joy? Even though pleasure and joy may sound like the same thing, they’re not. Once you consume pleasure, the feeling goes away, but joy constantly gives back. Pleasure fades, but joy is constant and ongoing.

As we approach this Christmas season, we might recall that the events recounted in the Gospel narratives have a profound effect on how we view the world. These events bring firstly to our awareness a wonder at the dignity of every human person.

God himself has become man, taken on our human flesh. Christmas, the Christian argues, not only tells us the truth about God — that He is always seeking us and will go to any lengths to draw near to us — but also the truth about man. The supreme dignity of the human person-from the child in the womb to the child in Darfur — springs from amazement at how precious and beautiful is each human person.

Christmas ought also to teach us to have a great love for the poor, assisting those in difficult circumstances. This season makes real the interconnectedness of the human family and our responsibility for each other. Perhaps most of all though, this time of year invites a change in perspective.

Too many of us are chasing after fulfillment in our jobs or possessions and not spending enough time with our families. Yet, we know deep down, lasting joy will not be found there. As the common saying goes, no one says on their death bed, “I wish I had spent more time at work.” Hearts will remain restless until they are set on lasting joys: loving God and serving others.

It is in many ways life’s great paradox: we seek pleasure but do not find it; we seek comfort and are restless. Yet, when we abstain from passing pleasures, we find joy.

It is also the paradox of Christmas. Wise men set out in search of a king and they find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes. God promises a liberator and He offers an infant. Christmas suggest that happiness is found where we least expect it.

Our effort, perhaps especially at this time of year, is to change the formula “from dust to dust” to something more permanent…like love. Ultimately, it is love that is great instrument of conversion from passing pleasure to true joy. Our lives at the end, as Mother Teresa observed, will not be measured by what we accumulate, but by “how much we love and are loved.”

And that’s where joy comes in. You cannot actually seek joy. Instead, it finds you when you do the right thing, like small acts of kindness or self-sacrifice.

For instance, why is it more blessed to give than to receive? Because when we give out of love for another — the right motive — we are sure to receive joy as a byproduct.

So this Christmas season, the invitation is to the same paradox. If in fact we do what we know we should this time of year, call a friend in need, contact a family member from whom we are disconnected, or make someone’s Christmas a little more bright, we are sure to receive a greater gift in return. These simple but profound actions will yield much joy for the recipient and for you for an eternity.

It is indeed joy which has come to our broken world, a joy that will not pass away.

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