As we face a new year, it is customary in America to greet one another with the phrase, "Happy New Year!"

But, New Year’s Day may not be that happy for some. On New Year’s morning, many, many people across our land are not happy with their headaches and hangovers because of the previous evening’s excessive dining, drinking, and dancing. And how can we be happy if the new year is just more of the same old things ... the same poverty, unemployment, inflation, nuclear arms race, sickness, war, and failure? When we reflect upon things even just briefly, we certainly have cause to ask the question, "Just what’s so great, what’s 'happy' about the new year?"

Now, lest we bury our heads in our hands and give up, even before the new year has begun, let’s consider what happened one week ago this m…