This is a picture from 1973; its a picture of my brother David's first wedding. I guess I had weddings on the brain because yesterday one of my fellow workers was leaving to attend HIS brother's wedding. The thing is: when I saw this picture I had mixed emotions; I was happy to see how young and great looking everyone was, but sad to think about some of them must look now. Yet, for many of them, I imagine they have had a full life. I only know about my brother (who is permanently disabled) and myself. Beyond that, I can only wonder. Consider the following passage from the book of Ezra to see what remembering can lead to.Ezra 3:8-13 (WEB)
8) Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who were come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the house of Yahweh.
9) Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to have the oversight of the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Levites.
10) When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh, they set the priests in their clothing with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Yahweh, after the order of David king of Israel.
11) They sang one to another in praising and giving thanks to Yahweh, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever toward Israel.” All the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised Yahweh, because the foundation of the house of Yahweh was laid.
12) But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
13) so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
(Ezra 3:8-13, WEB)
Human beings have feelings; this is common to us all, but we show them differently. Many of the Jews who had seen the first temple remembered it. How clearly they did this is in doubt because the exile lasted seventy years, but nonetheless, they remembered. I can only imagine the depth of feeling a truly faithful Jew must have held towards the temple, but for some of them it was too much to hold in; they wept. Memories are like that, sometimes they are just hard to remember. I seems unbelievable that I once looked like I did at Dave's wedding, but then was then and now is now. Look for the good and move on. I just can't help but wonder though, were the old men crying out of sorrow or joy?