Will you Dance with Us?

I have to confess I like to dance. It may not be pretty, and it sure isn’t graceful but there is something liberating about it. After a few hours of socializing at my son and daughter in-laws wedding I finally made it to the dance floor with the whole family and it was pure joy. We laughed at one another’s moves, bounced around to the rhythmic beats, and celebrated the gift of marriage.

I’m convinced dancing it part of our DNA. One of the reason I love Africa so much is the freedom so many have in worship to express their love to God through dance. And I believe one of the best ways to contemplate the Trinity is to see it as a dance between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

There is a continual pouring out of love between the 3 persons, each giving praise and pouring out affection to the others who make up the united Godhead. Before the beginning of time this dance of “perfect love” twirled joyfully in eternity. From this dance-creation was formed and the crown of creation, man and woman were invited into the dance.

We all know what happened when Adam and Eve chose to dance alone, apart from the perfect love of God. Instead of dancing in the freedom of His love we became slaves to fear and were ruled by our insecurities. We forgot how to dance. But as noted in the previous blogs discussing 1 John 4, each of us has been called back to the dance of “perfect love” (vs. 18).

Our Good Father has continued to pursue us and invites us back to “The Dance” through His Son Jesus. Jesus entered into our dark prison cell and took on the punishment of our sin of rejecting God’s love and opened up the door to once again summons us to the dance:

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (vs. 9-10)

I love the picture in Scripture of the Son being the bridegroom and we are called the bride. Jesus lays down His life for us at the cross in order to put on us His perfection depicted at a spotless wedding gown. As we receive this “robe of righteousness,” by faith we are invited into the wedding dance of the Trinity for all eternity (John 3:29- 36, Eph. 5:22-33, Rev. 19:1-10).

How our world needs this message of the dance today. All the anger and rage flowing out of hearts today shows we have chosen to dance alone in a prison of fear. The Father sent His only Son to show us how to get back to the dance floor where “perfect love cast out all fear,” (vs. 18).

You can tell those who have joined the dance of the Trinity by the overflow of love in their hearts for others.

“No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us,” (vs. 12).

Jesus, the second person of the Trinity is our invitation by the Father to join the dance. Yes, it can seem scary to get out of your sit and on to the dance floor but once you take His hand and you join the dance of “perfect love” you will never want to leave the dance floor.

I hope you’ll dance!