Sunday, December 24, 2000
Christmas Eve
Read: Luke 4:19
Festivals and fairs are delicious
pleasures that many in Wisconsin look forward to experiencing
yearly. Some of the best personal enjoyments I have received at
these events have been listening to the performances of the street
musicians. The folks who are not considered polished enough, or
have not developed a big enough following, to be featured as stage
performers at Milwaukee's Festival Park, one of the stages periodically
set up around Madison's capitol square and other similar warm
weather venues across the state. The love of the music they play
is frequently more evident, and the quality better, than offered
by name performers whose hit recordings are dependent on enhancements
of studio production.
Ecuador Manta was playing one of these sidewalk gigs at the 2000
State Fair. As the gathered audience was enjoying the Andes influenced
music of this South American group, Wanda emerged from the throng
and began dancing. Her red, white and blue spangled cap, snow-white
hair, and smart pants suit set her apart from the decidedly younger,
and much more informally dressed, spectators. Her popularity as
an audience favorite shot up even further when after several extended
dances it was announced that she was 82 years old.
Soon the lead singer, an accomplished dancer himself, announced
that he was coming out front during the next musical selection
to join Wanda. Their time as a couple was brief and intermittent
throughout the song. Despite repeated pleas to "stay with
me Wanda" and "back this way," Wanda heard her
own beat in the music and continued to dance to it all over the
black top dance area between the band and growing audience.
Is that not the way it often is with God and us? We may hear God's
Word calling us to dance, but we insist on dancing to our own
tune. The songs may be clearly telling us what God expects of
us, but we become so focused on our own existing agendas that
we can't move from our plans to God's plan. Opportunities are
missed to respond to God's invitation to let our life dance show
our commitments to peace, justice and witness.
As the frenzy of celebrating Christmas American Style is approaching
its climax, listen for the tune of the Incarnation. --SZ
Reflect and pray: How have you honored the Christ
Child this Advent? How are you being called to proclaim the year
of the Lord's favor through your life dance at the start of the
new millennium?
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