“But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance.”
Ezra 3:12-13 NLT
God’s joy is a complex thing. Within it, we find strength for our fragile and finite humanity. However, it doesn’t always look the same. To the young, it can manifest as elation. The victory is extra sweet amongst those who did not share in the major sacrifice to obtain it. But for those who knew the cost, the victory is bittersweet as they finally overcome the sin and its effect in their lives. So it often is amongst the older and more mature in our communities. A right sound of worship will be both sweet and sour as it will represent the faith of a child and the tears of the old. In both cases this is joyful. It is not a question of pessimism or optimism. These ideas assume that the valid position is somewhere in the middle. But truthfully, an infinite God would appreciate all points of truth in a spectrum of worship. We can call the old cynical and the young naive, but neither has to be true. They are just aware at their capacity and both are beautiful to God. We should expect this in a mature community of believers.
JOSH McGARY. COM 