At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.”

Luke 10:21

This weekend we were blessed with having Laura Story with us in worship. What you may not realize is that she brought her young son, Timothy, with her. I happened to peek in the gym while she was warming up and saw Timothy running through that big space with an opened umbrella in his hands. He shouted with glee. I was reminded how much I miss having rooms full of children at church.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I don’t actually mind when children run at church. Oh, I know we need to teach our children manners, but we adults also need to remember what it’s like to be children. Big open spaces like the gym beg for running – especially if you are young enough to run without pain! Few things are as joyful as children at play.

Joy is to be one of the hallmarks of the Christian life. Children constantly remind us of this fact. Sure children are not always happy, but they do seem to have an underlying joy that is always wanting to rise to the surface if given the chance. Adults can be so serious. So concerned about all sorts of things. Children, on the other hand, exude joy even on difficult days.

Before COVID, I made it a habit of walking through the children’s wing at church. I can, like other adults, get distracted by all the to-do lists and worries of the day. I can fret over whether or not a sermon went well or whether or not our attendance was adequate. A quick walk through the children’s wing, lifts my spirits. One, they don’t care if the sermon was good or not. Two, they are pleased with the simple truths of scripture stated in simple terms: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. They believe without a doubt that God loves them. So should we. People who know they are loved are generally joyful people.

G.K. Chesterton once wrote that “Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul. Pessimism is at best an emotional half-holiday; joy is the uproarious labour by which all things live.”

We have plenty of reasons for sorrow, but all those reasons are connected to circumstances that are passing away. One day, all of us who have put our faith in Jesus will be made new. As Chesterton put in another passage, we’ll be made young again. Like children, we will be filled with joy forever more.

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