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Good morning.  Today would be a good day to be in Bhutan, I think.  Then again – maybe every day would be a good day to be in Bhutan.  After all, the Kingdom of Bhutan is the only nation on earth to measure ‘Gross national happiness’ – so where better to be on the International day of happiness?  Every year since 1971, they have been measuring the nation’s happiness year on year.  Government government surveys there have looked at nine areas of life, including ‘community vitality’ ‘time use’ ‘good governance’ and ‘psychological wellbeing’.  It might all sound a bit quixotic – but it is clearly yielding positive results.  In the last 20 years, life expectancy has doubled in the country, and almost 100% of the nation’s children are enrolled in primary education?.
Whoever thought the pursuit of happiness could yield such quantifiably positive results?  Of course, the key factor here is that it is a shared happiness.  Too often the pursuit of happiness can be a selfish thing, occasionally trampling on the needs of others in order to gain its own goal.  After all – if I can only be happy by playing my loud music, what is to become of my neighbour who finds happiness in the silence?
The Christian faith tends to talk more about ‘joy’ than happiness.  Joy runs a little deeperdeep too.  Its source is to be found deep down – rather than on the surface where it can be added to by some circumstances or swept away by others.  The source of joy is to be found in what we believe, and is unaffected by the events of today or the fears of tomorrow.   Joy is like an underground river – whose power can be heard if you press your ear to the ground.
Dear God, help me today to find a joy which runs deeper than circumstancedeep – even whilst adding to the happiness of others. Amen