2 Samuel 6:14-16--“David danced before God with all his might.”
When our granddaughters Maren and Annika had a P.E. class which includes a unit on “dance,” they simply loved it! What a great way for children to exercise and have fun at the same time.
Years ago, my mother told me when she was in elementary school, one May Day the children gathered outside and danced around a May Pole. Unfortunately, her father, a strict Lutheran pastor, saw her dancing around the May Pole with the other children and physically removed her from that “sinful” activity!
When I was a child, my dad loved to dance. Obviously, my mother was not into dancing much, so as soon as I was able to stand on my feet, I stood on Dad’s feet and together we’d dance to whatever music was on the radio! Dad had this great grin of joy on his face.
Living in Liberia, we learned quickly that Liberians love to dance. When they sing, their bodies just move in rhythm, and they dance the Gospel story! Which leads me to the use of dance as a picture of what it means to be in the presence of God.
I think my grandfather was wrong. Dance, in and of itself, is not evil. You can turn anything into a “sinful” event. When we feel the presence of God in our lives, when we are “moved” by the Holy Spirit, our whole bodies and minds seem to flow into steps of contrition or joy or wonderment. And so we dance.
King David “danced before the Lord with all his might.” (II Samuel 6:14) He explained to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord; that I have danced before the Lord.” (II Samuel 6:21)
Lord of the Dance, written by Sydney Carter in 1963, is the song story of God’s plan from creation to redemption through Jesus, depicted as a dance. When it first came out, like my grandfather, there were those who refused to sing it! But the song caught on—people’s hearts began to dance at the beauty of what God has, is, and continues to do for his creation.
Sydney Carter wrote: “I see Christ as the incarnation of the piper who is calling us. He dances to that shape and pattern which is at the heart of our reality. By Christ I mean not only Jesus; in other times and places, other planets, there may be other Lords of the Dance. But Jesus is the one I know of first and best. I sing of the dancing pattern in the life and words of Jesus.”
Prayer: Holy Spirit, so set my heart and mind upon the joy and awe that comes from experiencing you, that my feet dance and my face smiles with pleasure. Help me to dance in the footsteps and rhythm of Jesus. May those who see my joy, discover the very presence of God.