The latest World Happiness Report was recently released, and Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden remain in the top four spots. Their high ranking should not come as much of a surprise given that all four nations are generally considered solid places to live with relatively few threats to their way of life. That is not the case, however, for one nation that few likely suspected would make the top ten: Israel.
Israel came in at number five in the 2023 report and has ranked toward the top of the list for several years. Between then and now, the war with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and even Iran itself has served as a constant reminder of all that its people risk by simply choosing to live in Israel. It would be understandable if the happiness and general well-being of the Israeli citizens began to weaken in the face of such danger and death.
And its resilience in the face of these trials is relatively rare.
As Natan Sharansky and Gil Troy describe, “At No. 8, Israel contrasts sharply with other war-torn countries that are quite reasonably miserable: Ukraine sits at 111, and Lebanon, which opened a second front against Israel in October 2023, is third from the bottom, at 145.” What separates Israel from those other nations is the degree to which social factors like high social support, generosity, and a sense of equality drive the happiness and identity of its people.
And, if anything, the war has only brought them closer together as a culture.
Do our differences define us?
In a recent article on Denison Forum, Reuben Nevo wrote of how Israelis’ response to the repeated bombings by the Houthis illustrates the resilience that has allowed the nation to withstand the onslaught from various terrorist organizations without losing their identity and happiness. As Reuben describes, “The drills and practices here in Israel are always the same. We run/walk to the shelter, wait for ten minutes, and then go back to normal life. It’s amazing how fast we continue with our daily life.”
A big part of why they can get on with life so quickly is the recognition that they are not doing life alone.
Sharansky and Troy illustrate this point well when they note that “Despite searing political divisions, Israelis remain united culturally. Cherishing family, community, country, and history shapes their faith in the future.” They don’t ignore their differences, but they also don’t allow those differences to define themselves or others. And, in that, there is a great deal from which we can learn.
What is “good tribalism?”
To quote Sharansky and Troy one more time, “The West needs good tribalism: A healthy commitment to community, connectedness, and history anchors us.”
America has not had much trouble with generating tribalism over the last few decades. However, I don’t think many would describe it as good.
While there are a number of reasons why that is the case, perhaps the most important is that we lack the kind of cohesive foundation seen in Israel and other nations. And, for the most part, we don’t seem terribly interested in finding it.
After all, America was founded largely upon the ideals of individual liberty. While certain events like 9/11 or the Olympics can bring us together for a time around a common cause, there is always a basic understanding that it’s not going to last. And that’s alright.
The solution to why the US rates as a less happy place than Israel is not to adopt a more communal lifestyle or try to mirror what makes Israel unique. At the same time, we shouldn’t give up on the idea of community either.
God designed us to need other people. It’s why he said man being alone was the only part of his original creation that was not good (Genesis 2:18). Now, what that community looks like can vary from person to person, but we should not be surprised if we struggle to experience the fullness of God’s joy when attempting to go through life by ourselves (and I say that as someone very much inclined to try and do just that).
A life God can bless
Ultimately, recognizing our need for others is a sign of humility rather than weakness. And while we should never entrust our happiness to the fickle nature of fallen people, embracing the notion that God designed us to need relationships with other people is a necessary step toward experiencing the abundant life that he offers us.
Just as importantly, community—especially a community of believers—can be essential to resisting temptation and growing in our relationship with the Lord as well (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12).
While other people can never be a substitute for God’s presence in our lives, they can be a gift from him to help us experience greater joy, happiness, and purpose on this side of heaven. Such community can also provide a small glimpse of what awaits us once that veil is lifted and we step into eternity, where we will stand among “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9).
Living in community with other believers and with whomever else God brings along our path is a key part of what the Lord has called each of us to do. And it can be one of the best ways to experience a little slice of what awaits us once this world fades.
So what communities are you invested in today? Are there any relationships you’ve allowed to fade prematurely? Do you see other people more as a potential gift from the Lord or as a burden to bear?
There are times when the same person can feel like both a blessing and a burden—and that’s true of each of us—but don’t give up on living in community with others just because it’s hard. God did not intend to give us that option, so we should not be surprised when he refuses to bless it.
Instead, embrace his call to community and prayerfully seek ways that he can use it as a blessing to you while also using you as a blessing to others.
Do that, and you will begin to understand just a bit of what allows Israelis to face their trials without losing their joy.
Where do you need that joy today?
Quote of the day:
“When we have a choice, people usually choose privacy, control, and comfort—and then we’re shocked when we wind up lonely. We put up ‘privacy fences,’ and then complain about how nobody knows their neighbors anymore. But communal bonds have always been tightened by necessity.” —Eve Tushnet
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