Dancing

Since I arrived in Denver, the staff of DryBones, the other interns, and of course our friends on the streets have been constantly teaching me things. I cannot think of a day yet when I haven't learned or realized something new that is changing the way that I interact with others.

One thing that I have learned is a metaphor about the kingdom of God that I have become rather fond of: dancing.

I'll start with a little background on myself. I grew up since the age of about 9 until now (19)in a Church of Christ church and going to a private school associated with the Church of Christ. My school didn't have dances at homecoming or prom, and so dancing was never something that I had the opportunity to do. Which means that there wasn't much dancing in me. And there still isn't. I just don't have the moves.

So when I got to Denver, the staff started sharing different ideas with us about how they saw the kingdom of God through the lens of their experiences here. They told us that while we were here we shouldn't view our opportunity to hang out with street kids as time to bring Jesus to them. We shouldn't approach the kids as if we are presenting Jesus to them. Because we aren't. We are not the carriers of Jesus. We are the followers of Jesus. Jesus was already on the streets of downtown Denver before we even got there, and we are just following him to the places that he is working.

So what does dancing have to do with this? Well, a pretty cool way to look at it is like this:

God is hosting this big dance, and we are all invited. What's really awesome though, is that, if we join the dance, if we accept the invitation, we all get to dance with Jesus. We get to see his moves and partner with him in his work.

That's what we were told to do when we meet kids on the streets. Join in God's dance. It's already started and it's already moving people.

What exactly does that mean for us? For one, it means that its not our duty to show Jesus off to the world. We don't have to have the best moves because Jesus is right there with us dancing. He is showing himself to those who see the invitation, to those who hear the music, to those who need a dance the most. This means that we are freed from the responsibility to be perfect in our faith, actions, and beliefs. We no longer should worry if our theology is better than another's, but rather, we should serve people. We don't have to be 100% correct. We just have to be willing to join in the dance with our Lord. He will lead us. He will show us the path to him.

I find this idea refreshing and renewing. I no longer feel burdened to be totally right. Yes, I still strive to find what is right, but now I am not searching for the path, I am being led to it.

Another thing that is really cool about the kingdom of God being like a dance is that when others hear the music and see dancing, it's difficult to not want to join in too. A sort of contagious dance breaks out when we realize that its not us, but rather Jesus who is changing others. It's hard to stop dancing when it is so freeing.

So... Join in the dance. I think that you will find that its hard to stop once you've been a part of it.