More of a dance than a walk

Galatians 5:25, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”  If you and I were reading this scripture together I would probably ask you what you think that meant.  Then you would probably answer something like “well we should be walking with the Spirit.”  I would agree and compliment you on your wonderful answer.  I think both of us would have, somewhat, missed the point of this phrase.  To keep in step with someone could signify a walk, but it also is the phrase you would use in dancing to keep up with your partner.  “in step” seems to signify, not a walk, but a dance  To be fully alive is to join God on the great dance floor of life.

Many of the greatest Christian thinkers throughout history have stated that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (the three that make up the one God) are in a constant dance with eachother.  The concept is called the Perichoresis.  It’s from two greek words meaning “to dance among.”    The idea is that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are always in a one great dance.  They are in constant movement within eachother.

George Cladis writes, “the three persons of God are in constant movement in a circle that implies intimacy, equality, unity yet distinction, and love.  The idea comes from Jesus’ words in John 17, where Jesus states that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.  He then asks that we would be in Him as He is in the Father.

You see, we have been invited to the dance.  That’s where it gets really tough.  We all know a guy like that.  We all have a friend like that.  You know him, he’s the one who, when everyone else is sitting by and waiting, jumps up and says “I’ll try it.”  But he won’t stop there, will he?  He looks over to you.  Why does he single you out?  He does.  He looks to you and he says, “Come on out here, you gotta try this.”  That really is what Jesus has come to do.  He calls out to us, “Come on out and dance!”

You have a choice.  You either dance or you don’t.  There’s no in between here.  If you choose to dance, you will be mocked by those who are too afraid to embrace life as much as you will now that you have followed Jesus into a new life.  However, if you choose to dance you will quickly forget how miserable it was to just sit there at the table watching everyone else dance and have good time.