The normally staid academic, Professor Monica Grady, erupted in unconfined joy when the Philae probe landed on a comet on Wednesday. It was a moment that Professor Grady and her colleagues had waited 10 years and 4 billion miles for. It’s a wonderful few seconds of unexpected and unbridled celebration that quickly went viral. Watch it and try not to smile – it’s impossible.
But if scientists can rejoice so much over a piece of metal landing on a piece of rock, how much more should Christians celebrate every time a human soul connects with God, bridging an infinite distance through the far greater and far more mysterious technology of the God-man, Jesus Christ. Where is our jubilation? Where is our Grady-like “I-don’t-care-who-sees-me-I-can’t-help-myself” kind of joy?
Well, however much (or little) we rejoice over sinners “landing” on God, there’s no question that God and His angels rejoice far more than we do over every sinner that repents (Luke 15:7); and far more even than Professor Grady. Watch her and get a glimpse of how God rejoices over His people with singing (Zeph. 3:17).