The Divine Dance…
“There is joy in the dance, but it does not exist for the sake of joy. It does not even exist for the sake of good, or of love. It is Love Himself, and Good Himself, and therefore happy. It does not exist for us, but we for it. . . .” CS Lewis
This old photo is not exactly a ‘Divine Dance’ but this fits this metaphor…
Each morning, before dawn, I get up early, get a cup of coffee and do my RPMs (readings, prayers and meditations). Sometimes Lexi joins me. I have done this since 1985 when my life needed to change direction. This morning I read again this from CS Lewis that contains two metaphors, which I can easily visualize, about living life according to God’s will for us. One: that life is a Divine Dance we are asked to join. Two: that the Good News (God’s Love for us) is a Good Infection that we catch and spread to others.
Here is the reading:
The Divine Dance (“A Good Infection”)
“And now what does it all matter? It matters more than anything else in the world. The whole dance, or drama, or pattern of this three-Personal Life (in God Himself) is to be played out in each one of us: or (putting it the other way round) each of us has got to enter the pattern, take his place in the dance. There is no other way to happiness for which we were made. Good things as well as bad, you know, are caught by kind of infection. If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very center of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you: if you are not you will remain dry. Once a man (or woman) is united to God, how could he not live forever? Once a man is separated from God, what can he do but wither and die?” CS Lewis
Of course as we join the Dance, we immediately realize that we are all like Hobbits with big hairy feet. That is, we are a bit clumsy and step on toes occasionally. We may not be good dancers but we are invited to join the celebration anyway. (Actually I consider myself a good dancer…;)
Later:
Here are more of CS Lewis’ thoughts on the ‘good infection’:
“Remember what I said about ‘good infection’. One of our own race (Jesus) has this new life: if we get close to Him we shall catch it from Him.
Of course you can express this in all sorts of different ways. You can say that Christ died for our sins. You may say that the Father has forgiven us because Christ has done for us what we ought to have done. You may say that we are washed in the blood of the Lamb. You may say that Christ has deafen death. They are all true.” CS Lewis
To be caught up in the ‘Divine Dance’ or catch the ‘Divine Infection’ we must surrender to God’s Grace and move closer to Him.
DKS