Naagan Hamaad Akhaba (Naagan Has Joy)

I would say it was a couple years in the making - from the first supporting beams and the corrugated steel roof to the luxurious glass paned windows – but now Naagan Church is complete. It’s actually “Naagan Church” on Sundays for the Christians in this distant goob, but on any other given day you’ll find children running around in their brand new “Naagan/Tirrim Nursery School,” or villagers using it as “Naagan Meeting Hall.” So, as everyone in Naagan is involved with this building in some way, it’s no surprise that most of the goob turned out for the dedication day, including many of us townies.

(Speechifying.)

There’s seems to me to be two distinct types of joy, maybe three. There’s the joy found within oneself – joy in a long worked for accomplishment, joy in a love discovered, joy in one’s life situation. Then there’s the joy of a community – joy in a long worked for cooperate accomplishment or joy in each other’s company. Thirdly, although I’m not so sure how blurry the lines are between the previous two joys and this next one, the joy in God – His goodness, sovereignty... I believe most situations can be classified into one of these three shapes of Joy, and once in a great while, a Joy just overflows into all three at the same time. And this seems to be what happened at Naagan at the dedication of the church.

All the goob elders proudly leaned their backs against the walls, mommas sang and chanted every chance they got, and the “weelal” (children) couldn’t keep their bums on the ground or their faces on the speaker. Communal Joy, Personal Joy, and Divine Joy were indistinguishable as the purpose of the building was stated and proper thanks were given. Before the doors were opened for the first time (although I’ve heard rumors that the kids have been inside, kicking their soccer ball against the newly white-washed walls), an impressive hundred or so people marched around the entire perimeter of the building singing a hymn of thanks, clapping, and smiling ear to ear. Upon entering the hall, a huge circle of women and men formed in the center of the hall; chant leaders in the middle and dancers skipping and bobbing their heads around the outside.

(Marching Mommas)

As I think now, I don’t recall many times observing/being a part of a situation where the three Joys truly collide. It’s an impressive thing when people find the deepest happiness in all parts of their humanity at the same time.