What a day or rejoicing that will be

There is an old southern gospel song that has the lyrics:

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He’ll prepare for us a place.

Refrain:
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when trav’ling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold.

So, why am I listening to an old southern gospel song? Well, we had a grand old family reunion today with four generations of people, from great-grandma down to the newest baby, just 14 days old. The kids were running around, the adults were reminiscing, and joy was in the air. We also, of course, shared stories of those whom we love but are no longer with us. Actually, those of us who are Orthodox had the opportunity to explain to those of us who are Baptist that icons are our family photographs that call to us in love and remind us that those who have gone before us, our family, are not dead but alive.

What struck me in the midst of our joy was that old southern gospel song. What a day of rejoicing it will be when we all get together again. At 60, I have both family and friends that I miss and that I look forward to seeing again. Even in the midst of our family reunion, I looked at the generations present remembering the generations not there, as all of us older ones did. That was when that old southern gospel song hit my heart. But, I would say to the songwriters that it is not just the seeing Jesus and the singing and shouting the victory. It will be seeing the Body of Christ, the Family of God, those whom we personally knew and those whom we did not, our family, that will also make it a day of rejoicing and celebration. It will not just be the victory, but also the reunion.

Someday we shall be united with God. Someday we shall see the uncreated light. Someday we shall be reunited with our family and with the rest of the family whom we do not yet know. Meanwhile, these gatherings here, these gatherings now, whether at the Divine Liturgy or even our family gatherings, give us but a small foretaste of the joy that shall be ours someday.