Sacred Dance

August 14, 2023 - Kenya

My wife will surely attest that I can’t dance. Pretty much I look like the groundhog from the movie “Caddy Shack”. I wish I was kidding.

I have been materially blessed, even rich by some standards, it’s easy to love God from that position. The profound mystery is seeing, experiencing the love of God from people who are poor; poor from anyone’s standards. Thank God that He dwells with the poor (how poor are we all!). I’m not here to fix the Kenyans, to bring them anything really. I’m here to wonder at their survival, learn from their resilience, experience their joy. I’m here to be restored.

Today I saw someone mowing a yard with a machete, effectively. After an installation training we were told by one of the students we were like her parents because we brought her safe drinking water. I saw fisherman putting out on their solitaire sail boats. Three people on a motorcycle and children selling fresh dried minnows and home made charcoal beside the road are just part of the fabric of life here. Part of the dance.

This is my 10th time here and I’m trying to be intentional about talking to the people, listening and learning. Not being a human doing rather a human being. Enjoying relationship. The team is doing good work here to be sure but I feel like if I’m not looking for these other opportunities, being in relationship and talking with others, learning from who I’m with and what I’m seeing, I’m doing it wrong.

I’m letting you glimpse into my journey towards the sacred dance. Which fortunately does not require rhythm or coordination, but certainly plenty of God given Grace. It’s the dance of life, sometimes a Mamba, sometimes a Macarena, sometimes a graceful waltz, and it can even be a ground hog wiggling with its fists out at its side. I haven’t the slightest idea where it will lead me—I’m sure the dance floor is quite bumpy; kind of like the roads here— even the locals call them “African massage”!

But even a bumpy dance floor is ok because I know what the end point is; simply love for myself and love for others. Loving God is the Greatest Commandment, closely followed by Love Others as yourself.

The Sacred Dance awaits.