Ezra 3:11-13. Then the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid. 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.
Do not miss this Child. There were those who had never seen my earlier Temple. They were overjoyed to see the foundations of a new place to worship, to sacrifice, to follow my commands. The elders, however, those who had been in my first Temple, Solomon’s Temple, grieved its loss. They remembered what had been, and what had been destroyed. Do you see? I honor both emotions. I honor the grieving, the sadness over what has been lost. I honor the joy and celebration of what is being rebuilt – what is new. I honor the respect and sense of loss for what was in the past, as well as the excitement and joy over what is being created. Process it all. And look to me to honor both.
Amanuensis 