Two worldviews...

1. That there is an absolute spectrum on which we may pursue happiness. We live in a world with limited and scarce resources for creating happiness, and there are therefore people who are destined to be less happy than others by nature of their poverty--whether it be in money, time, relationships or rewards given back to them.

2. That happiness is not dependent on those resources, and that all people have a means of securing happiness without regard to what they have or lack.

The former think the latter are weaklings who can't hack it...who delude themselves into believing their miseries are blessings in order to cope. The latter look at the former and...ache; they do not fathom how much wealth "poor" people can actually have.

I live in an environment where I am constantly asked to believe the former. I have been seen so many quiet riches over the years that I cannot deny the latter. The logician may gladly call me out on the fact that I cannot speak for all the other people in the world, many of which remain in pain and unfathomable suffering. I may very well be making a Panglossian argument here, so all I can say is "it happened to me."

So in saying what I have just said, I ask that nobody assume I speak on their behalf. Rather, let each of them tell their own story, and if anybody should hear enough of them to convince him of the latter worldview's verity, then may he gladly adopt it.


A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God" they said. "We know this man (Jesus) is a sinner."
He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"