Christian Living

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Danse Vitae
© 2005
by

Stephen A. Peterson


In the program where I work, teenage young men and women are found to have a difficult time interacting with each other and their mentors. Weekly, sometimes daily, technicians are tasked with sitting down in individual and group sessions in their attempts to help guide them to adulthood and life.

During one of these sessions, a technician sat the teens down following a conflict involving several teens. He discussed responsibility and rules to his youthful audience. While listening in on his discussion, I thought about the word “guidance”. Not the meaning of the word but the sum total of what this technician was saying and attempt to accomplish.

If one looks at the word “guidance”, he or she will notice the word “dance” towards its end. Of all of the human activities a person may become involved in; the dance between two people requires cooperation and the willingness on the part of at least one of the partners to be the follower.

Many people, particularly those in the Western world, believe we are free to do whatever we want. For this culture of peoples, it is difficult to accept a notion that we, as humans, are not the complete masters of our universe, our world or ourselves. We certainly have freedoms. Yet freedoms incur responsibility not just to “me”. Our greatest responsibility is to allow our Creature God to be the lead dance partner in our lives. Unlike any belief or religion, Christianity is a relationship with our God. Not an entity or God to be feared or afraid of.

When two people try to lead, one person or the other will step on the other’s toes, cause the dance to be out of rhythm for both. The movement will not flow with the music or with the other person and one or both will feel uncomfortable. However, the person who realizes that one person must guide and the other one follows, the dance becomes smooth, graceful, beautiful. It is as though the two dancers are as one in harmony with each other. The dance, as does life, requires a willingness to surrender one’s impulses, interactions and attention from one to another.

As I listened to the technician, I thought more about the word “guidance”. The word began with “G”. I thought of “God”. I also noticed the word have “U” followed by “I”. I then thought my life begins with “God” followed by my relationship “U” God and “I” together in a “Danse Vitae” that requires give my life to God to lead and me to follow so that I may be in perfect harmony. God constantly asks if He may dance with us like a high school teen asking a teen girl for a dance at a high school dance. God asks if He may dance with us and to lead in the “danse vitae” where the music is beautiful and the steps simple and easy if we but follow His lead. Some will gladly accept the invitation other will reject His call.

Soon most of the teens seated in the meeting room became calm. Yet I knew a number of them rejected the call to reasonable, appropriate guidance for a variety of reasons. As I listened, I scribbled notes and in my mind recommitted my willingness to trust only in God. Once again, I submitted myself to let God lead and me to follow.

My hope, wish and prayer is that you who read these letters come to know that you are blessed in more ways than you can ever image by God. You may be suffering emotional pain, physical pain, rejection by others to name a few. Yet you have been blessed by God to lead you on the “danse vitae”.

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