There is a little known fact about me that I haven’t disclosed in my blogs. Are you ready for it? I can’t dance. In Phil Collin’s song “I Can’t Dance,” he says, “The only thing about me is the way that I walk.” And I would concur with that song, the only thing about me is the way that I walk — which leads me into the verse I want to focus on.
Galatians 5:25:
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step in the Spirit.
I was reading in Galatians, chapter 5, one night this week and I had to do a double take on this particular verse. Keeping in step in the Spirit. What does that really look like? Is it, if the Spirit moves one way, then we move one way? If the Spirit picks up His stride, then we also pick up our stride. If the Spirit stops everything, we also stop everything. This correlation with the Spirit brings to mind steps in a dance. In my mind, I imagine a dance similar to this clip I found of Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell in an old movie titled, “Broadway Melody of 1940”..
Here is the dance scene from the movie:
Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell glide on the dance floor with absolute grace. It seems like their moves are just effortless. The synchronization of their dance steps is a joy to watch. Based on the dancers’ expressions, you can tell they enjoy performing for their audience.
So what does a dance clip from an old movie have anything to do with the Holy Spirit? Maybe it has nothing to do with it at all except to entertain, but I would like to point out by watching Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell dance there is a bond or a union in their dance routine which could relate to keeping in step with the Spirit mentioned in Galatians. Learning to move by adhering to the leading of the Spirit takes practice. It’s not an easy task to accomplish since the Holy Spirit is not physically manifested meaning our eyes don’t see a person in the flesh standing before us, but the Spirit has a voice. Although for me, listening to the Spirit’s voice is not an audible voice, but more of a thought instilled in my mind which prompts me to action. Yet even then, scripture (1 John 4:1) calls us to test the spirits to make certain the Holy Spirit is actually speaking to us and not a different spirit. To give an example of a small detail on how the Spirit spoke to me recently: my sister-in-law was asking me about a Christian song dealing with dry bones coming to life and where was this story located in scripture. At the time, I couldn’t recall where in scripture the story was recorded. I tried finding the story in a Bible App, but still couldn’t find it. That night, I was opening the Bible up on my phone and there was a voice in my mind to go the to book of Ezekiel and from there to go to Chapter 37. Boom! The passage about the Valley of Dry Bones was located. Part of the Spirit’s function is to point you to the truth; I feel the Holy Spirit did just that in my example above.
Just remember, the Christian life starts as a baby at conversion and we grow to follow the Spirit as we become more acquainted with Him. Our salvation is not just a one point in time conversion. No, it is a learning and living experience that never stops as the Spirit guides us into living a skillful life through eternity. As we work towards growing into maturity in Christ, the Spirit will guide us in truth where we can dance with the Spirit in synchronicity. The Christian life is not meant to be boring
But maybe, just maybe, it’s meant to be a dance.
Discussions to make God known 