Make a Joyful Noise

I had the opportunity to go out to Chinatown in NY today for the second year in a row with my brother. If there was any reason NOT to think that that Chinese people are stoic and emotionless, I would say this would be it. The sound of drums, poppers, and snappers going off, confetti everywhere, people smiling and wishing each other well, it's amazing! And even though I know it's a secular holiday, I consider it a blessing to be able to witness others of God's creation be joyful, even if an incomplete joy.

Not that it should stop there. If nothing else, seeing people be joyful in a secular context makes me wonder how much happier they could be if their joy was fully complete and weren't worshiping things like prosperity, money, or whatever. The fact that people who don't know God don't really know joy even in their happiest moments encourages me to have compassion. Most of all, it makes me wonder how I have chosen to forgo ultimate moments of joy with God for lesser moments of joy with something else. Seeing people excited for a secular holiday reminds me that ultimate joy is given to me. Thank God for grace, that even though I sometimes forgo ultimate joy given by Him, it no longer counts against me, and that the gift of ultimate joy is always there for me.

So Happy New Year to all those that celebrate the Lunar New Year, and I hope that the fun and celebration is cause for rejoicing for you as well. Even though the holiday is secular, God is sovereign over all and can be found in all that you do. If only we could put down our own finite desires enough to see Him.