Dancing Like A Fool

It had been a rocky ride for David…

with little more than a prayer, he had slain Goliath,

but he had also been a victim of Saul’s madness,

He had experienced great highs and some deep lows,

but now, he was dancing with all his might,

because he was bringing the ark home.

The ark was a sacred thing- a very sacred thing-

which signified nothing less than the presence of God.

So … it was a day of celebration-

a day for songs and harps and sistrums-

a day to let go of one’s inhibitions-

a day to” let it all hang out.”

It was a day to dance if there ever was such a day,

and that’s exactly what the great king did.

He danced, and he danced, and he danced.

He danced with all of his might, wearing little more than an apron (ephod).

He danced like a fool, giving everyone in the crowd

a loaf of bread and a couple of cakes.

Then, he went home, where he encountered an angry wife!

Michal (Saul’s daughter) was waiting for him and she had a thing or two to say.

She had been watching him from her window, and

she was offended by David’s “vulgar” display of enthusiasm.

According to God’s word (2 Samuel 6:1-19),

David and Michal had a verbal exchange that

permanently damaged their relationship.

Michal told David to act like a king, and

David told Michal that she hadn’t seen anything yet.

He told her that he would dance like a fool

every time God showed up.

When God blessed him, he had to respond with utter joy

as God’s people always had.

When Sarah gave birth,

Abraham called the boy “Isaac,” which means “laughter;”

when God’s people made it across the Red Sea,

Miriam led them in praise and song;

when the prodigal son came stumbling home,

his father threw the party of all parties;

when a homemaker found a single coin,

she invited her neighbors to come and rejoice with her,

and…they gave one another “high-fives” and hugged

because unfettered joy is the only

appropriate response to God’s grace!

Friends, as people of faith,

we ought to be dancing fools

because we’ve been blessed beyond David’s dreams

David was king, but we reign with Christ.

David had the ark, but we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

David has a scepter, but we have a cross…

so… let’s dance as if we know ourselves to be saved!

As Presbyterians, we know that decency & order have their place.

Michal was right about that,

but David had the greater truth:

God’s people must dance with unbridled joy!

As Christians, our dance ought to be a dance

of freedom, and grace, and inclusion, and hope.

It ought to be a dance where every note sung off-key

and every clumsy dance step is forgiven.

There are other dances, of course-

dances of power and dances of pleasure,

dances of addiction and fear,

dances of death.

But we dance for the Lord of the dance,

and His dance is THE dance of life!

Someone said that many Christians dance as if

they have an instruction manual, but no music.

They move mechanically from place to place,

stiffly and without joy, hoping not to make a mistake.

They are disciplined, but they are not dancing.

Michal would’ve liked that,

but according to Scripture,

she never did feel the music.