The language of “Resisting Happiness” is becoming more ingrained in my mind. It became clearer earlier this week when my parish, St. Lucy, presented to our community a film entitled “Screenagers” as a way of understanding how to, as a family and community, use the blessings of technology in a responsible and life giving manner.
In this documentary two things were abundantly clear: (1) teens and parents know that there is a problem and (2) they resist the solutions they know will bring them happiness as individuals and families.
And what will bring them happiness? They often spoke about how they craved more connection. They knew they were satisfying it with the false connection of electronic touches, the lie of importance and the satisfaction of a “like” a “heart” or a kind typed word over the true connection of a touch, a smile and look into the eye of the other. They also understood that they were accepting the false life of lives edited and discussion about what they saw rather than the true relationship building blocks of the messiness of real life and the speaking of hopes, dreams and passions in a life lived out in joy.
This truly sounds like “Resisting Happiness” on a grand scale. What was remarkable about both the film and the panel discussion afterwards was the honesty in knowing that there were no silver bullets offered, no one size fits all solutions, no quick fixes or easy ways out. There was only one small piece of advice offered over and over and over again, said in different words by different people. What was the advice? You have to talk about it. Not text about it, tweet about, snapchat, Facebook, our Instagram something cute, profound, silly or controversial, it is to simply talk about it.
It is the most human of responses. It is the response that God has built into our hearts, the need for connection. But the temptation is to break the profound connection of love and replace it with something cheaper that seems easier and less stressful but ultimately never fulfilling.
This is the center of our relationship with God and others. We talk about it. I would invite you to pray with the Psalms for a couple of weeks to see how personal and open the writer(s) of the psalms were when they spoke to God. It was a messy and hard relationship. One filled with doubt and confidence, fear and trust, suffering and joy and the sacrificial blessing that comes with love. It is hearing and knowing the voice of God near to us and hearing His voice whispered in the voice of others.
Of course, I am laughing at myself a little bit at as I write this post being sent out electronically to be read and pondered within the world of unconnectedness. And that’s okay. We also know that God has many ways of getting to us to take time with His Word. But in the end we must, with intention and hope, stop and talk with the other in our life because all true relationships are built on knowing the other’s fullness and not an edited version.
As we continue to read Matthew Kelly’s “Resisting Happiness” we might ask the question…What would have been the outcome of his spiritual journey if his friend John had only tweeted, texted, Facebook’ed or emailed all they words of wisdom that he shared? Would the journey have lasted more than a few steps?
I have only one more Friday post before we begin the discipline of Lent. Please continue to search and seek out the human connection. Sit down tonight and have a glass of beer or wine and listen to the voice of your wife or husband in sharing your desires. Turn off the distractions that become our resistance to love. Take time with the family, not just watching life go by but participating in the work of the Holy Spirit.

God bless
Fr. Mark