Dancing to the rhythm of hope

On Friday mornings I go to a Music and Movement program for 0- 5 years olds we run at my church.
Some Fridays I channel my primary school teaching days and present the program. I spend an hour and half of dancing and singing and generally leaping about the place and I certainly don’t need to take any other exercise that day!

I have to say it’s one of the highlights of my week because the littlies are just so engaged, so ‘in the moment’, so completely given over to the joy of music with its patterns and pace; its progression and measure; its noise and activity and its silence and tranquillity.
I watch a baby grinning and clapping her hands in delight while mum bounces her up and down in time to the music.

I see a toddler totally absorbed in some crazy dance moves that can never be replicated and probably shouldn’t be for the general safety of the public!
I watch a three-year-old earnestly trying to copy the actions and two others laughing and laughing as they dance with each other round and around and I think about this quote from Rubem Alves
“Hope is hearing the melody of the future and faith is dancing to that melody in the here and now.”
Jesus sometimes pointed to the characteristics of children when he was teaching the grown-up world.
 
“Be like children” Jesus says.
 
Be like children in some very specific ways – see like a child sees; hope like a child hopes and then live like a child will.
 
Stop long enough to hear the melody of the great hope we have for a beautiful future.
 
Embrace that song of hope for yourself
 
And then dance to the rhythm of all it is we hope for.
 
And what we hope for is a world in which all human beings and all creation are restored to their creator and to each other in good relationship -  no more death or crying or pain; no injustice
 
What can you do in your week to dance to the melody of this good future?

Karen Siggins

Lead Pastor