Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. – Psalm 126:5

 Today's Scripture Reading (October 21, 2025): Psalm 126

The celebration on May 8, 1945, was something the world had not experienced in a long time, and for good reason. The 1930s had been a time of poverty and hunger as the Great Depression raged. And then, on the heels of the Great Depression, came the Second War to end All Wars. For over the past decade and a half, tears had been given rein on the Earth.

But then, in 1945, it seemed that there was room for hope. On April 30, 1945, the Führer Adolf Hitler committed suicide, ending his reign of terror. On May 8, the Germans had surrendered unconditionally. The War wasn't over. That wouldn't happen until August 15, 1945 (or August 14 in America due to international time zones), when Japan would finally surrender, ending World War II. However, Germany's surrender on May 8 was significant. It was a moment of hope at a time when the world needed it most.

May 8, 1945, was the day when the crowd gathered to serenade Winston Churchill with "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." Churchill tried to share the moment, but at this instant, all of England was behind their flawed hero and Prime Minister. May 8, 1945, is the moment when King George VI decided to allow his daughters, Elizabeth, who was nineteen at the time, and Margaret, who was fourteen (almost fifteen) years old, to walk incognito among the people to truly experience their joy. It was a critical moment. However, there is no doubt that the depth of misery the world had experienced made the joy of May 8, 1945, feel even sweeter.

The Psalmist comments that those who sow in tears will reap in joy. There is so much that can happen between those two moments. When the crop is planted, there are so many things that could, and often do, go wrong. But at the moment of the harvest, all of the work and fears about the crop are history. At the harvest, the investment was worth it, even if we sometimes wondered if that could be true. It is an event when tears of sadness are turned into the tears of joy that we had always needed. And all of us need more of those moments.

Note: Photo was taken in London, England, May 8, 1945

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 129 & 130