Eudaemonia
[you-day-mon-ay-ah], translated literally from Greek it roughly means something
like “the possession of a god or deity,” but more accurately it is a term to
describe what it means to truly find happiness. Eudaemonia is that which
virtually every philosopher since Plato has been after; it is the ultimate
quest of the human person, as one journeys through life seeking that which will
fulfill all our needs and desires; in constitutional terms, it is “the pursuit
of happiness.” Eudaemonia is not merely a good feeling or a passing moment of
satisfaction, rather, it is true fulfillment.
As human beings we have
a longing for the infinite (which is immensely ironic because everything on
this earth is finite). This longing
exists because it is in our very nature.
Whether it be because of original sin and concupiscence, or simply
because our souls are infinite: we have this thirst that cannot be quenched. We long for eudaemonia. So, how do we
discover eudaemonia? How can we live eudaemonia?
As human beings, we are
walking mysteries. We have a soul that is infinite and we have a body that is
finite, yet their codependent relationship is necessary for our existence. That is, I would not exist (at least
physically here on earth in space and time) without a body, nor would I exist
at all without a soul. As humans, we are dependent upon both, there is no other
way to exist. Viewing reality from this perspective,
one can see a bit clearer the human disposition: our tendency for something
more; something that is constantly fleeting us, and yet all around us at the
same time; our yearning for the infinite; our desire for fulfillment; our quest
for eudaemonia.
No matter how many
philosophers debate the subject, or how variously different all of their
conclusions are, there seems to be (at least in the Greco-roman tradition, and
carried out in European thought up until this present day) only two possible
answers to this quest for ultimate happiness. On the one hand, there is the view
of the atheists, who claim that happiness resides in self-fulfillment: do the
best you can, for the sake of being the best, and you will find happiness. On the
other hand, there is the Christian claim that in God alone resides our
fulfillment. The atheistic claim is
anthrocentric, and even more specifically it is entirely selfish. In this view, happiness is dependent upon one’s
success, and if one happens to be unsuccessful, one is doomed never to find
happiness. The Christian claim is quite
the opposite: it is theocentric, and calls one to live life in service of
others; God does not call us to be successful, he calls us to be faithful.
In the Christian life,
eudaemonia is not discovered through my own achievements. Rather, eudaemonia exists in the encounter
with a person: Jesus of Nazareth. In the
person of Jesus, we encounter all of the same longings and desires that we
ourselves have, it’s in our human nature.
But, we also encounter something much greater than our humanity, we
encounter God himself in the flesh. The
resurrection of Jesus was an event that changed the world as we know it
forever, and when we encounter the risen lord, all of our preconceptions are
thrown out the window. The risen lord
comes to meet us where we are at, and in our faithfulness our expectations are
entirely surpassed.
The Apostles didn’t have
a clue what was going to happen to them in the days that followed the
crucifixion. It seemed that all of their
hopes were empty, and that Jesus was not the messiah after all. They went about their old ways and went
fishing. They didn’t recognize him in
the road to Emmaus, not even when he came in for dinner, it wasn’t until the
breaking of the bread. And even then
that was not enough for Thomas. But he meets our expectations and exceeds them: Thomas finds himself touching the
wounds on Jesus’ glorified body; the Apostles evangelize and convert thousands
of people at a time; and twelve uneducated men start a movement that would
survive underground for three hundred years, and eventually become the largest
religion, and longest standing human institution in history. God does not call
us to be successful, he calls us to be faithful.
Eudaemonia is not
achieved by success. They say that
millionaires are among the most depressed people in our population. Eudaemonia is realized in our
faithfulness. If I am honest with
myself, every time the going gets tough, and I remain faithful, not only am I
pleased with the outcome, but my expectations are exceeded in ways that I could
not previously imagine. Things just seem
to work out. Sin is real, and it has
consequences. By the same token, faith
is real, and it too has consequences.
The power of prayer is beyond our understanding. But from my experience I can honestly say
that I have never been disappointed when I put my trust entirely in God’s
hands. Eudaemonia is detachment from
self, and detachment from possessions. Nothing
in this world will ultimately satisfy, nothing except for the love of God,
which sustains us at every moment of every day, and will continue to for the
rest of eternity.
So take a moment to
reflect: what brings you happiness? How has
serving others brought you a sense of fulfillment? Are you searching for eudaemonia and coming
up empty? What are you looking for?
