Permanent Joy Only in the Hereafter

Charlie Chaplin was a British film star. He was born in 1889 and died in 1977, at the age of 88. He was a famous comedian. He excelled in making people laugh. But inside, he was a very sad man. Despite all his material wealth, he wasn’t at all happy.

It is said that once a person visited a psychiatrist. He told the psychiatrist that he was very depressed and requested him to suggest some way that he could become happy. The psychiatrist advised him to see Charlie Chaplin’s shows. And do you know what? The man told the doctor that he was Charlie Chaplin himself! He explained that while he made people happy, he himself was deeply unhappy.

Charlie Chaplin was a comedian, but by the time the moment of his death drew near, he had turned into a tragedian! The man who used to make other people laugh once said this about himself: “I always like to walk in the rain, so that no one can see me crying”.

This is the very same story of many people in this world. They laugh artificially, but inside they have no joy. They tell others stories about their supposed successes, but inside they are racked by a defeatist mentality.

The truth is that in the present world, there is no permanent joy and comfort for anyone. Such joy and comfort are possible only in the Hereafter, for people of firm faith in God.