MAJOR THEME: LIFE
SUB THEME: HAPPINESS
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
 Happiness is something one experiences from within an inner peace that comes from
striving to achieve one’s goals and being faithful to one’s values.
 Happiness is something called contentment or a state of being satisfied
 Happiness sometimes seems to center on the material or physical levels of human needs.
 Living humanly does not only involve trust and peace but also material, cultural, moral
and development.
PRESENT SITUATION
WHAT MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY?
All people look for happiness but few people are happy. At present, some people are happy when
they are:
 Dancing and Singing
 Driving good expensive cars
 Wearing nice clothes
 Drinking beer
 Eating nice food
 Being popular in school, society etc.
 Playing sports e.g., soccer
 Being in good health
 Having good friends
 Being in good health
 Achieving one’s goals
 Reading books
 Being excused for an offence one has committed
 When everyone around you is happy
 Being loved and cared for
HUMAN NEEDS
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All human beings have various needs that have to be fulfilment for them to be truly
happy. These needs include:
 MATERIAL OR PHYSICAL NEEDS: These include food, shelter, rest, healthy etc.
 APPROVAL NEEDS: Things like “I want to be liked,” good relationship, care, love, support,
marriage, to be accepted, recognized, noticed, praised etc.
 ACHIEVEMENT NEEDS: I want to contribute to my country, to the world, successful qualification,
involvement in sports, drama, my profession, education etc.
LEVELS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
- The human needs lead to full Human Development which can be seen in five levels:
 Material/ Physical: growth, food, health
 Emotional: the need to be liked
 Cultural: education, customs or passing habits, style, language etc.
 Moral: includes behavior/ attitude e.g., honesty, freedom, responsibility
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Spiritual: includes one’s commitment to God, one’s faith and worship
IDEALS ABOUT THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS
 Happiness is a sense of inner peace.
 Happiness demands choosing goals in life and sacrificing ones that contradict one’s
deepest values
 Happiness is satisfying only the need consistent with the chosen goals.
 Happiness is more a by- product than a goal.
 Seeking happiness means doing what is right for myself and society to develop.
 To gain happiness brings pleasure.
 Happiness involves sacrificing goals that contradict one’s deepest values.
 To seek pleasure for its own sake leads to tears but to gain happiness brings a pleasure
beyond one’s expectations.
 The way to happiness includes learning what is needed for myself and my society to
develop fully.
 Seeking happiness means doing what is right.
 The deepest goal in life is union with God.
Pleasure is experienced when a need is satisfied e.g.
 A hungry man gets pleasure from eating a good meal. (Material\ Physical need)
 Being recognized as the top scorer of a sport. (Achievement need)
 When a lonely boy is noticed and praised by an attractive girl, then his need for approval
is satisfied and he is filled with pleasure.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLEASURE AND HAPPINESS
 Pleasure is the satisfaction of needs e.g., hunger whereas happiness is a sense of inner
peace that comes from, using one’s intelligence to set adequate goals in life.
 Pleasure aims at achieving immediate goals whereas happiness goes beyond the
immediate goals.
 Pleasure is short lived whereas happiness is a long process
 Pleasure seeks to satisfy its own sake whereas happiness brings luxury beyond one’s
expectations
 Pleasure many times may lead to sorrow or sad endings whereas happiness always leads
to gladness, joyful ending as it leads to an inner peace i.e. To seek pleasure for its own
sake leads to tears but to gain happiness brings a pleasure beyond one’s expectations.
 Pleasure is the satisfaction of a physical need/ feeling e.g., hunger, that lasts for a
moment whereas happiness is the satisfying of a high intellectual\ spiritual need which
lasts as long as one wants it to.
 Pleasure may come from other people’s influence or intelligence whereas happiness
comes from using one’s intelligent to set important achievable goals.
HAPPINESS IN HINDUISM
 Happiness is realized through Moksha, the liberation from the cycle of rebirth
 For Hindus, the endless cycle of death and rebirths (samsara) is seen as a burden e.g., like
a prisoner tied to a wheel.
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 Hence true happiness comes only when one is liberated from this cycle. (To be liberated
is called Moksha or absolute freedom: a release from samsara)
 Moksha can also be described like a river merging with the ocean: The waters from the
river do not disappear when they merge with the ocean/sea in the same way at the end of
one’s earthly existence, an individual soul joins the infinite Braham just as the river joins
the ocean.
 To achieve moksha, one must control the senses, mind and intellect
 One must cast away desires, fear and anger
Key Concepts in Hindus Happiness:
 Moksha- liberation from the cycle of re-birth
 Samsara- the cycle of death and birth which is a burden
 Karma- The quality of one’s life-when a Hindu has attained Moksha he is free to join the
Great Soul, Brahman
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Paths (Yogas)that lead to Moksha (absolute freedom)
Hindus choose different paths to the goal of absolute freedom and happiness:
(1) Path of works: - to carry out their duties in life without complaining.
- set your heart on your works but never on its rewards. (how poor are
those who work for rewards)
(2) Path of knowledge: - to dedicate themselves to the search for the truth
- study nature but know that the real world is the world of God
and the inner self
(3) Path of Devotion: - to make prayer and devotion central to their lives
- to dedicate oneself to a god or goddess
THE CONCEPT OF NIRVANA
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Also referred to as the final end of man- destiny
It is the reuniting of one’s soul with the infinite soul – Brahman
A soul reaches this state after living a life which it climbs up through the caste system
Humans accumulate good karma by performing the duties of the caste they were born in.
If one collects good behavior in their caste, they move up to a higher caste
A soul that has reached the upper castes may escape the cycle of reincarnation by
eliminating karma. Becoming one with Brahman means a higher plane of existence that
transcends the suffering of earthly life
 Nirvana involves the internal being\ internal union with God (Brahman), not the external
CAUSES OF HUMAN DISHARMONY IN HINDU SOCIETY
The Hindu tradition claim that the root to human disharmony is:
 Human attachment to material things
 Attachment to desires\ possessions
 Bad karma attained due to bad actions
HEALING HUMAN DISHARMONY
Healing disharmony in Hindu society comes about by:
 Controlling one’s senses, mind and intellect
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 Casting away desires, fears and anger
 Having Moksha as the highest goal- Uniting with Brahman, the source of life
HAPPINESS IN ISLAM
 The climax of happiness for a Muslim is to go on pilgrimage to Mecca.
 The pilgrimage takes place in the twelfth (12) month of the Muslim year and enables
them to fulfil the fifth pillar of Islam.
 Those who fulfil the fifth pillar are given the title of Hajj which becomes theirs forever
 *** The importance of Mecca
 Mecca is the religious center of Islam
 Muslims pray facing the direction of Mecca
 It was the first sanctuary appointed by God and Abraham and his first son Ismael
worshiped there
 It is the place where Hagar, Ishmael’s mother found water
 At the heart of the Mecca, is the Ka’aba, the holiest shrine which contains the famous
black stone.
 At Mecca all rank and status is ignored and everyone wears a long white garment as a
sign of complete equality.
What happens at Mecca?
 All rank is ignored.
 Pilgrims wear white garments
 They go round the Ka’aba in a circle and kiss the black stone if possible.
 Pilgrims run to a near-by hill in imitation of Hagar’s frantic search for water
 They fast each day from dawn to sunset
 They pray with special fervour (intense and passionate feeling) since the main
purpose of the pilgrimage is to express one’s life as an act of total submission to God.
NOTE: Muslims who cannot make the journey, choose one person as a pilgrim to represent
them. Money for the trip is collected and the pilgrim prays on their behalf.
THE MUSLIM ‘ID’ (FEAST) OF SACRIFICE
 The feast of sacrifice is an expression of the joy Muslims experience when they have
achieved their life-long dream of making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
 The feast is also called ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast’ – it is a public holiday which
marks the end of the month long fasting from dawn- to- sunset.
ELEMENTS OF THE SACRIFICE
 A goat or sheep is killed and offered in sacrifice for each household
 A cow may be offered for large groups
 At the feast, the Imam (a Muslim religious leader) preaches a sermon explaining the
meaning of the sacrifice.
 This is followed by the ‘id’ prayers.
 New outfits are worn in honour of Allah and are intended to symbolize the notion of
spiritual renewal
 Gifts are exchanged among loved ones and Muslims everywhere.
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HAPPINESS IN TRADITIONAL SOCIETY
African societies have believed and taught their children that happiness lies in:
 Having many wives and disciplined children
 Having land that produced good harvests
 Being good warriors and victorious in tribal wars
 Being in good relationship with ancestral spirits
 Having children to remember one in old age and after one’s death
 Having respect for the elders
 Pleasing the supreme being
 Being faithful to traditions
 Having a good influence in society
 Sharing and practicing hospitality
 Having good friendships
 Being able to protect oneself from harm caused by witchcraft
HARMONY AND STATUS
People in most traditional societies:
 shared the same values and followed similar customs.
 lived closely together and had to unite to protect themselves against natural dangers
and attacks from enemies.
 regarded harmony amongst themselves as very important. Harmony was achieved
only if people:
- overcame their greed and selfish tendencies
- followed the customs
- showed respect for elders and authority
In every traditional society:
 the needs of the group came before the needs of an individual
 people were given status (importance) in the measure of what they contributed to the
well-being of the whole group.
 the group and not the individual determined the work a person did and the importance
a person would have
 to achieve status or to win the group’s approval was very important for the individual.
WAYS OF PROMOTING HARMONY
There are problems in every community, e.g., village level, family level etc. People always tend
to blame other individuals or groups when experience a lack of harmony. As a way of promoting
and strengthening harmony, many traditional societies taught the youth ideals of caring:
 for the unknown traveler
 for the needy
 for aging parents and younger children
 for the infirm, the lame, the orphan
CHURCH HISTORY
HAPPINESS IN THE CHRISTIANITY
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 The Gospel was first preached to the people who wanted happiness but who often
failed to find it
 In the big cities, the majority of the people were poor and lived in crowed and
unsanitary slums
 The country people grew food for themselves but also were forced to provide food for
the city dwellers
 A man might lose half of what he grew or earned through having to pay heavy taxes
 Therefore, in Christianity, many people found salvation and a new meaning in life.
Salvation brought a new meaning in life to the early Christians because Jesus was:
 helping them fight their selfishness, which was the root of their poverty
 offering them happiness after death i.e., an eternal life with God.
 physically feeding them and healing their diseases.
 reminding them of their dignity as children of the father.
 Giving them the power to seek happiness in serving others.
EXAMPLES OF EARLY CHRISTIANS
SUFFERING BUT HAPPY
- One of the greatest glories of history is the way some Christians remained faithful to God and
lived in joyful fellowship with God even in the midst of great suffering.
1. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
 He was a Bishop, an ex-slave and was martyred in Rome in 115 A.D.
 Despite being cruelly treated by the soldiers on his way to Rome, he found time to
write letters of encouragement to the Christians he met on the way.
 Even though he knew he would be put to death in Rome, he did not complain and
said:
 “Unless we are ready and willing to die like Christ, his life is not within us”
2. CYPRIAN, BISHOP OF CARTHAGE
He describes his conversion to Christianity as follows:  “I was so entangled by many errors of my former life that I could not believe it
possible for me to escape from.
 But when I was baptized, and light from above poured into my heart and I had drunk
of the spirit.
 Then straight away in a marvelous manner, doubts began to be resolved.
 Closed doors began to open, dark places seemed to grow light.
 What before seemed difficult was now easy
 What I had thought impossible was now capable of accomplishment”.
3. THE UGANDAN MARTYRS
 A martyr is any person who dies for his or her convictions
 In 1885, some young Christians in Uganda were cruelly put to death because they
refused to obey a leader who wanted them to perform evil acts.
 The executioners mocked them about their Christian faith. The leader said, “You
believe you will rise from the dead. “Well, I shall burn you and see if it is so”.
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 In the midst of their suffering, they continued to sing hymns praising God.
 Their courage and calmness amazed their executioners.
 They have inspired Christians everywhere to remain faithful to Christ despite any
difficulties they may face, even death itself.
 The greatest tragedy is not that people suffer, but by their lack of courage, they fail to
face up to their suffering.
 Among those put to death: Kizito, Charles Lwanga, Mukasa, John Mzee,
Mawagali.
 Two shrines were put up, one to the Catholic Martyrs and the other to the Protestant
martyrs.
4. ST. MONICA FACING DEATH
 She was the mother of St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo
 Her husband was a pagan who treated her harshly but her patience and good example,
converted him to Christianity.
 Augustine her son was not a Christian and led an evil life in his early years.
 She told her son that she no longer found joy in anything in this world when she was
about to die.
 She no longer hoped for anything in this world than to see him become a Christian
before she died.
 God granted her desire in super abundance.
 Augustine was ordained priest and later became Bishop of Hippo.
 She asked her son to always remember her at the table of the Lord where ever he may
be and with these words she died.
THE 19TH CENTURY CHRISTIANS AND HAPPINESS
 When the Missionaries came to Africa in the 19th century, they needed a great spirit of
courage and renunciation
 Many of them were men and women of self-sacrifice and they needed to develop the
same attitudes in their converts.
 Such preaching gave the idea or impression that Christianity was more about selfsacrifice and giving up things than about the love of God and his desire to bring people to
a life of happiness.
 Some missionaries did not distant themselves from the colonial regime hence confusing
the role of the missionaries and the colonialists; this made some Africans to see
missionaries and colonialists to have the same goal and so did not trust them.
The 19th Century missionaries seemed to question most of the traditional ways of happiness
because:
 They did not understand fully the culture of the people and the meaning of traditional
rituals.
 They had to help their converts to make a distinction between ways of expressing
happiness that expressed Christian values and these that contradicted the teaching of
Christ. E.g., taking part in beer parties, rituals that involved beer
 many missionaries at home had seen the evil of excessive alcohol which led to lack of
self- control, violence, unhappy families, marital infidelity, wasting money and poverty.
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 to fight this, this alcohol was forbidden in many churches. E.g. Seventh Day Adventist.
 Others tried to educate people to use alcohol in a responsible and moderate ways.
Why excessive use of alcohol was condemned
Many missionaries at home had seen the evil of excessive alcohol intake and so strongly
condemned it among Africans because it led to:
* lack of self-control, * violence, * unhappy families, * marital infidelity,
* wasting money * escapism, and poverty.
BIBLE CONTENTS
A: THE OLD TESTAMENT
1. ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8
LIFE IS A MIXTURE OF JOYS AND SORROWS
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Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses
He sets the time for birth and the time for death
The time for planting and the time for pulling up
The time for killing and the time for healing
The time for tearing down and the time for building
He sets the time for sorrow and the time for joy
The time for mourning and the time for dancing
The time for making love and the time for not making love
The time for kissing and the time for not kissing
He sets the time for finding and the time for losing
The time for saving and the time for throwing away
The time for tearing and the time for mending
The time for silence and the time for talk
He sets the time for love and the time for hate
The time for war and the time for peace
MEANING
The Jewish people did not expect life to have no problems, nor did they expect it to be always
peaceful and successful. Yet, no matter the circumstances of their lives they knew they were free
to respond in love and gratitude to God and others or refuse to respond. They were free to choose
happiness or lose themselves in bitterness and illusions. For them the key to happiness was to use
this world as a gift from the creator and in the way he would want.
2.PSALM 37:1-13
WE MUST SEEK OUR HAPPINESS IN GOD
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Don’t be worried on account of the wicked.
They will soon disappear like grass that dries up; they will die like plants that wither.
Trust in the lord and do good; live in the land and be safe.
Seek your happiness in the lord and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Give your heart to the lord; trust in him and he will help you.
He will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.
Be patient and wait for the lord to act; don’t be worried about those who prosper or
succeed in their evil plans.
Don’t give in to worry or anger; it only leads to trouble.
Those who trust in the lord will possess the land and enjoy the; but the wicked will be
driven out.
Soon they wicked will disappear; you may look for them, but you won’t find them.
The humble will possess the land and enjoy prosperity and peace.
The wicked man plots against the good man;
glare at him with hate.
But the lord laughs at the wicked men, because he knows he soon be destroyed.
MEANING
The Psalmist compares the lot of the good with the lot of the wicked. For the good, happiness
follows the observing of God’s law and is linked with inhabiting the hand, who do not follow
God’s law will be destroyed. Their prosperity will be short-lived like the grass that dries up.
3. JEREMIAH 2:1-13
JEREMIAH’S PLEA TO RETURN TO GOD (Happiness through cracked cisterns)
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The lord told me to proclaim this message to everyone in Jerusalem
I remember how faithful you were when you were young.
How you loved when we were first married
You followed through the desert, through a land that has not been sown
Israel, you belong to me alone; you are my sacred possession
I sent suffering and disaster on everyone who hurt you.
I the lord have spoken.’’
Listen to the Lord’s message, you descendants of Jacob, you tribes of Israel
The lord says: “What accusation did your mentors bring against me?
What made them turn away from me?
They worshipped worthless idols and became worthless themselves
They did not care about me, even though I rescued them from Egypt
And led them through the wilderness: a land of deserts and sand dunes,
A dry and dangerous land where no one lives and no one will travel
I brought them into a fertile land to enjoy its harvest and others good things.
But instead, they ruined my land; they defiled they country I had given them
The Priests did not ask, ‘Where is the lord?’
My own priests did not know me.
The rulers rebelled against me;
The prophets spoke in the name of Baal and worshiped useless idols
‘’And so, I the lord, will state my case against my people again
I will bring charges against their descendants.
Go west to the island of Cyprus, and send someone eastwards to the land of Kedar
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You will see the that nothing like this has ever happened before
No other nation has ever changed its gods, even though they were not real
But my people have exchanged them honour, for gods that can do nothing for them
And so, I command the sky to shake with horror, to be amazed and astonished
For my people have committed two sins: they have turned away from me,
The spring of fresh water and they have dug cisterns
Cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all
MEANING
The prophets remind the Jewish of the relationship they used to have with God. They forgot who
was the giver of lives and became slaves to their lives and became slaves to their own desires,
abused their land, and replaced the real God with useless substitutes. They seek happiness in
ways that can never bring happiness just as cracked cisterns can never provide the water needed
for life.
4.JEREMIAH 30:10-22
GOD IS THE SOURCE TO HAPPINESS
 My people do not be afraid; people of Israel do not be terrified
 I will rescue you from that distant land, from the land you were prisoners
 You will come back home and live in peace; you will be secure, and no one will
make you afraid
 I will come to you and save you, I will destroy all the nations
 Where I have scattered you, but I will not destroy you.
 I will not let you go unpunished; but when I punish you, I will be fair.
 I the lord have spoken.’’
 The lord says to his people, ‘’your wounds are incurable, your injuries cannot be
healed
 There is no one to take care of you, no remedy for your sores, no hope of healing
you
 All your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer care about you.
 I have attacked you like an enemy; your punishment has been harsh, because your
sins are many, and your wickedness is great.
 Complain no more about your injuries; there is no cure for you
 I punished you like this because your sins are many and your wickedness is great
 But know, all who devour you will be devoured, and all your enemies will be
taken away as prisoners
 All who oppress you will be oppressed, and all who plunder you will be
plundered.
 I will make you well again; I will heal your wounds
 Though your enemies say; ‘Zion is an outcast; no one cares about her.’
 I, the Lord, have spoken.’’
 The lord says, ‘’I will restore my people to their land and have mercy on every
family;
 Jerusalem will be rebuilt and its palace restored.
 The people who live there will sing praise; they will shout for joy.
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By my blessings they will increase; my blessings they will increase in numbers
I will restore the nation’s ancient power and establish it firmly again
I will punish all who oppress them
Their ruler will come from their prince all who oppress them
Their ruler will come from their own nation, their prince from their own people
He will approach me when I invite him, for who would dare not come uninvited?
They will be my people and I will be their God
I, the lord, have spoken.’’
MEANING
Jewish people wondered why he there is suffering, sadness, misfortune in this world if God
really loves his people. Suffering comes from people rebelling against God; using the gifts of this
world selfishly and personally sinning which they damage themselves and their people. God
allowed the suffering caused by this damage until we repent and come back to him and the true
road.
B: The NEW TESTAMENT
5. MATTHEW 5:1-10
ATTITUDES THAT BRING HAPPINESS (The Beatitudes)
 Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where he sat down
 His disciples gathered round him, and he began to teach them
 ‘’Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; they kingdom of heaven
belongs to them!
 ‘’Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!
 ‘’Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised!
 ‘’Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will
satisfy their need!
 ‘’Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them!
 ‘’Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God!
 ‘’Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children!
 ‘’Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the
kingdom of heaven belongs to them!”
MEANING
According to Jesus, the beatitudes are the way to find true happiness.
6. LUKE 19:1-10
MEETING JESUS BRINGS ABOUT A CHANGED LIFE (ZACCHAEUS’ HAPPINESS)
 Jesus went into Jericho and was passing through
 There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich.
 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was little man and could not see Jesus
because of the crowd
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So, he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was
going to pass that way
When Jesus came to a place, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus
‘’Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.”
Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with great joy.
All the people who saw it started grumbling, ‘’This man has gone as a guest to the
home of a sinner!’’
Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘’Listen, sir! I will give my belongings
to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as
much.’’
Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this house today,
for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham
The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.’’
MEANING
Zacchaeus accepted from Jesus a new way of life which requires selfishness and willingness to
share the world riches.
7. JOHN 16: 16 -22
FROM SADNESS TO HAPPINESS
 ‘’In a little while you will not see me anymore, and then a little while later you
will see me.’’
 Some of the disciples asked among themselves, ‘’What does this mean? He tells
us that in a little while we will not see him
 And then a little while later we will see him;
 And he also says, ‘It is because I am to the father.’
 What does ‘a little while mean? We don’t know what he is talking about!’
 Jesus knew that they wanted to question him, so he said to them, ‘’I said, ‘I a little
while you will not see me,
 And then a while later you will see me.’
 Is this you are asking about among yourselves?
 I am telling you the truth: you will cry and weep, but the world will be glad
 You will be sad, but your sadness will turn into gladness
 When a woman is a about to give birth, she is sad because her hour of suffering
has come
 But when the baby is born, she forgets her suffering,
 Because she is happy that a baby has been born into the world
 That is how it is with you: now you are sad, but I will see you again
 And your hearts will be filled with gladness, the kind of gladness that no one can
take away from you
MEANING
John reminds the Christians that suffering and difficulties are a part of following Christ and if
they stop running from suffering, they will find Christ is alive in their lives, giving them a
‘’peace’’ and ‘’joy’’ that no one can steal from them.
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8. 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-13
LOVE IS A BASIS FOR HAPPINESS
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I may be able to speak the language of men and even of the angels
But if I have no love, my speech is no more than a gong or clanging bell,
I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all
secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move the mountains-but if I have no love, I
am nothing.
I may give away everything I have and even give up my body to be burnt -but if I have no
love, this does me no good.
Love is patient and kind: it is not jealous or conceited or proud
Love is not ill mannered or selfish or irritable
Love does not keep records of wrongs
Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth
Love never gives up; and its faith, hope and patience never fail
Love is eternal
There are inspired messages, but they are temporary
There are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease
There is knowledge but it will pass
For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial
But when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear
When I was a child, my speech feelings, and thinking were all those of a child
Now that I am a man, I have no more use for childish ways
What we see now see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face to face
What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete-as complete as God’s
knowledge of me.
Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.
MEANING
Paul tells the Christians at Corinth that the way to happiness is to live the way of love. The love
he talks of is not eros (love of desires) nor philos (love of friendship) but (putting the full
happiness of the one I love before my own). Agape is not natural love nor is it learned from
tradition but grows through contemplating the life of Jesus Christ
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