“DANCE ALL THE TIME”
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:1-15
August 9, 2020 Sermon
Rev. Juancho C. Campañano, BCC, PhD
The Oxford English Dictionary (2003) points to an Old High German word, “Danson,” as the root of the present English word “dance.” Dansôn means “to draw, to stretch out” into a line of people moving together. Oxford defines dance as “leap[ing], skip[ing], hop[ping], or glid[ing] with measured steps and rhythmical movements of the body, usually to the accompaniment of music, either by oneself or with a partner.”
This broad definition of “dance” could then be applied to other creatures like the flowing of grass, trees, flowers being blown or swayed by the wind or through the gravity of light. Dance could also be applied to the movement of water and waves; the flying and hopping of birds, animals, and other creatures. Indeed, dance can be seen in all of God’s creation.
It is interesting to note that even the early Church chose the Greek word “Perichoresis” to refer to the movement and relationships of the persons in the Trinity. In his book, The Immortal Diamond (JosseyBoss, 2013), Richard Rohr writes that the “early church used the Greek word perichoresis to try to describe the intimate relationship of the Trinity.” It is derived from the Greek “peri, “meaning “around,” and “chorein,” which has multiple meanings: “to make room for,” “to go forward,” and “to contain.” “God is a circle dance (perichoresis) of total outpouring and perfect receiving among three intimate partners, who receive their Total Self from another and then hand it on to another, who repeats the self-emptying act of love to a third.” The Trinity is the Dancing God. “When we worship a triune God we celebrate the love which flows in God’s eternal dance of togetherness, and which we know through Jesus Christ as Lord of the dance.”
Types of Dance There are many styles of dance to choose from, each with its own attractions. Popular styles of dancing include: ballet, ballroom dancing, belly dancing, hip-hop, jazz, pole dancing, salsa, squaredancing, tap dancing, line dancing, and many more. Dancing is beneficial to our total wellbeing. Dancing is good for people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. It has a wide range of physical and mental benefits. Dancing:
• Improves the condition of the heart and lungs
• Increases muscular strength, endurance, and motor fitness
• Increases aerobic fitness
• Helps to manage weight
• Builds stronger bones and reduces risk of osteoporosis
• Aids with improving coordination, agility, and flexibility
• Improves balance and spatial awareness
• Increases physical confidence, improves self confidence and self-esteem
• Improves mental functioning
• Relieves stress and builds a healthier self
• Improves general and psychological, emotional well-being
• Leads to better social skills.
• Helps normalize blood pressure, builds stronger bones with more lubricated joints
• Keeps one younger in looks and strength.
There is also the dance through life. There is the dance of our youth – full of actions, laden with emotion. Joseph dance that in our lesson. He was an spoiled brat, a favorite of Jacob. Ah poor Jacob, he did not learn. He played the dance of his family from Abraham to Isaac and now himself. He danced very good the dance of playing favoritism towards his children. Joseph and Benjamin were his favorites. So one day, he had a dream that someday his brothers will bow down before him. And he shared such a dream to his brothers with arrogance. So what would you expect of siblings who were already so much angered with Joseph being the favorite of their dad. So we have the dance of the siblings – the dance of anger, hatred and revenge. When an opportunity knocked, they took advantaged of it. At first they wanted to kill him. But finally they sold Joseph to slave traders. They profit from their anger, hatred and vengeance. Then you have the dance of Herod, Herodias and Salome. Herodias danced hatred, bigotry, and ended in the murder of John the Baptist. There is the seductive but manipulated dance of Salome. She danced her life under the influence and manipulation of her evil mother, Herodias. She danced very well and became a conduit of evil and murder. Then you have the dance of Herod – the dance of abuse of power, male dominance, misogyny, and misplaced and misunderstood word of honor. He had the power to do what is right and thus dance a dance for life. He did not. Today, we abound with this kind of dances that’s why many people are suffering, oppressed, abused, neglected, devalued, and even murdered in the hands of the powerful, in the name of law and order and of course, in the name of complacency and indifference of many of us. For if we keep quite and don’t do anything in situation of evil, suffering, injustice – we are enabling evil to prosper. This kind of dances destroys life, anti-neighbor, anti-community.
But for us, Christians, the ultimate dancer is Jesus. He is the Lord of the dance as our hymn today proclaims. He is ultimate Dance Instructor, our perfect partner in dancing our life. As our epistle lesson proclaims even the mere utterance of Jesus name brings salvation, hope, joy and life. Jesus change our hearts. Jesus is the name to us to show the world who God is. In Jesus this great God that we cannot understand or comprehend was made plain, accessible and close to us. Jesus revealed God not only as the Great I am and Savior but our great lover, our friend, our brother who is with us in all circumstances – including pandemic. As we look at Jesus, we know that God is with us for Jesus and God are one.
It is Jesus who taught us to dance the dance of hope, faith, life and joy. There is the dance of marriage, family and relationships. The poet Kahlil Gibran speaks of this when he wrote: “Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone. Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.” Concerning marriage Gibran wrote: “And what of Marriage, master? And he answered saying: You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.”
Even death, Gibran considered it the best dance of life. Again he said: “For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered? Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”
Above all, in Jesus God is also dancing with us. That’s what God wants. God wants our life to be a dance in every circumstance. I don’t know if you aware that there is a new version of the classic poem “Footprints in the sand?” It was written by pastor Mark Littleton. I thought it was appropriate as a way of ending this meditation. It goes like this:
Imagine you and the Lord Jesus walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord’s footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace. But your prints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures and returns. For much of the way it seems to go like this. But gradually, your footprints come more in line with the Lord’s, soon paralleling His consistently. You and Jesus are walking as true friends.
This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: your footprints that once etched the sand next to the Master’s are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His larger footprints is the small ‘sand print’, safely enclosed. You and Jesus are becoming one.
This goes on for many miles. But gradually you notice another change. The footprint inside the larger footprint seems to grow larger. Eventually it disappears altogether. There is only one set of footprints. They have become one.
Again, this goes on for a long time. But then something awful happens. The second set of footprints is back. And this time it seems even worse. Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Deep gashes in the sand. A veritable mess of prints. You’re amazed and shocked. But this is the end of your dream.
Now you speak. “Lord, I understand the first scene with the zigzags and fits and starts and so on. I was a new Christian, just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with you.” And the Lord responds: “That is correct.”
“Yes, and when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps. I followed You very closely.” “Very good. You have understood everything so far,” God said in amused voice.
“Then the smaller footprints grew and eventually filled in with Yours. I suppose that I was actually growing so much that I was becoming like you in every way.” “Precisely my child,” God intoned.
“But this is my question, Lord: Was there a regression or something? The footprints went back to two, and this time it was worse than the first.” The Lord smiles, then laughs. “You didn’t know?” God says. “That was when we danced.”
I pray that you do not only remember your first dance or your last dance. I pray that you learn to make your life a series of dances – painful and joyful. I pray that overall your life is dance that brings you hope, faith, love, and joy. May you make God your lover, your friend, your Savior, but most of all your dance partner. So be it. Amen.