I am always struck by Michael Fallon's reflection in which he uses the image of the dance, the dancer and the dancing to notice the three persons of the Trinity unified as One God. While it is never possible to fully annunciate what we are called to comprehend in this mystery we can find ourselves caught up in the divine dance. Just as when you look at a person dancing at one moment your focus is on the person, the next is on the motion present and then to actually the method of the dance. Yet while we can appreciate all at the same time we cannot freeze time without missing the essential divine love which is ever creative and ever new.
The same is true of our own lives especially when we are in prayer. We find ourselves drawn into a mystery which is not about putting our lives at the centre but rather being invited into the dance. Often we pull back because we feel clumsy or awkward, we miss the beat and we find that we don't know the steps. Yet each day God holds out a hand to us and invites us to embrace the life which catches us in movement and grace. This is the joy of the divine dance where we are embraced by a God who has loved us into being and invites us to take the next step.
In the same way, this is not about becoming a perfect dancer but rather a willingness to engage with the way we are led in the dance. I myself would much rather watch others dance because I fear to make a fool of myself on the dance floor. Yet this is what we are called to become people who do not just observe the Christian life but are prepared to live. This is a risk that people may make fun of the way we dance, or that they may judge that we are dancing incorrectly or that it does not have the flare of a professional dancer. Yet what makes the difference is that we respond to the God who touches our hearts, who engages us in action and guides us in our thinking. We are called to become participants in the divine life, not just observers.
This calls us to be more ourselves by surrendering ourselves to God's grace and to become more who we are called be, to become missionary disciples who listen to the beat of God and join the dance. This creative spirit of life helps us to be people who live the Gospel rather than just speak about it.
The same is true of our own lives especially when we are in prayer. We find ourselves drawn into a mystery which is not about putting our lives at the centre but rather being invited into the dance. Often we pull back because we feel clumsy or awkward, we miss the beat and we find that we don't know the steps. Yet each day God holds out a hand to us and invites us to embrace the life which catches us in movement and grace. This is the joy of the divine dance where we are embraced by a God who has loved us into being and invites us to take the next step.
In the same way, this is not about becoming a perfect dancer but rather a willingness to engage with the way we are led in the dance. I myself would much rather watch others dance because I fear to make a fool of myself on the dance floor. Yet this is what we are called to become people who do not just observe the Christian life but are prepared to live. This is a risk that people may make fun of the way we dance, or that they may judge that we are dancing incorrectly or that it does not have the flare of a professional dancer. Yet what makes the difference is that we respond to the God who touches our hearts, who engages us in action and guides us in our thinking. We are called to become participants in the divine life, not just observers.
This calls us to be more ourselves by surrendering ourselves to God's grace and to become more who we are called be, to become missionary disciples who listen to the beat of God and join the dance. This creative spirit of life helps us to be people who live the Gospel rather than just speak about it.
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