Love God. Live the Eucharist.

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February 23, 2020: I hope you dance

 

I sing accepella:

 

  1. I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’

Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’

 

In the gospel Jesus says to “love our enemies.”  Wow.  Is that a mistake?  I mean how do you love someone who has hurt you, or how do you move on from someone who has wounded your heart?   

 

Don’t let some hard-luck heart leave you bitter

When you come close to sellin’ out reconsider

Give the heavens above more than a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance . . . .

 

It’s so much easier to do like everyone else does  . . . and stay cynical, bitter, resentful, grumpy. But what would Jesus tell us to do?

 

I hope you dance, I hope you dance

 

This is a weekend for dancing.  This is Mardi Gras weekend which leads up to the night before Ash Wednesday.  People will be dancing up a storm, especially down in New Orleans.  Or Nah-lens as they say it.  And the song I am singing is not really about dancing. Dancing is a metaphor.  The song is about doing the right thing, not playing it safe anymore, even doing crazy things like Jesus talked about in the gospel:

offering the other cheek when slapped,

giving more when someone wants to gouge you,

going the extra mile when one mile is all that is expected.

 

The other day I was driving in St. Cloud and at a stop light a man stood there holding a sign that says he was a Veteran, homeless and in need of money.  So I reached into my wallet and I was going to pull out a buck and twenty came out.  And I paused, looking at the man, then down at the money.  Should I give him so much?  What if he’s a con-artist?  What if he uses it on booze or drugs?

 

Pope Francis was asked that very question a few years ago, in an interview.  His answer, “Give something, every time, no exceptions and give with compassion and warmth AND eye contact.”  But what if they are going to use it to buy wine?  His answer shocked many people, “If a glass of wine is the only happiness he has in life, that’s OK.  Instead, ask yourself what do you do on the sly?  What happiness do you seek in secret?”

 

Too often we offer kindness only to those who are kind to us.  We are nice only to those who seem nice.  But Jesus is saying, “If you really want to be one of my followers . . . ”

 

Dance, I hope you dance.

 

 

 

Be crazy, especially when the world says, ”be sane.”  Give even when you think that you don’t have enough.

Laugh when you are in pain.  Anybody can be nice to nice people, loving to lovely people, courteous to courteous people . . . as Jesus said in the gospel.

 

But to give? The book of Tobit (from the Old Testament) chapter 4 says, “Give alms from your possessions. Do not turn your face away from any of the poor, so that God’s face will not be turned away from you.

Give in proportion to what you own.  If you have great wealth, give alms out of your abundance.  If you have but little, do not be afraid to give even of that little . . . almsgiving is a worthy offering in the sight of God and for it keeps one from entering into darkness.

 

For too much of the world stays in darkness.  That is, only thinking of themselves, only focusing on “ME,”

or just wanting to fair. For what’s mine is mine, and people should work for it, for I earned this.  And if they have a miserable life, it’s their own fault.  And then St. Paul says in the second reading,

YOU are the dwelling of God. 

Or a St. Teresa of Avila, “Christ has no other hands but yours. 

No other voice or heart or feet, or body . . . except your’s.”  

Paul goes on to write, “Don’t deceive yourself. Become a fool, so as to become wise. 

The wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God.

 

It’s like God is offering a course on how to be happy, that is, on how to be free, how to live life to the fullest, how to be Christ-like.  Hanging onto your money, your time, your talents is one technique.   

 

So you’ve got to ask yourself.  If you’re stingy (or frugal) because you want to be happy and you are always worried about money and never giving anything to anyone . . . how’s that working out for you?

 

If you only want to be play it safe and never get involved with church stuff because your time is so precious that you can’t give any away . . . how’s that going?  

 

If you constantly complain about how bad the world has become because everyone is so greedy and no one helps anyone anymore, so why should you . . . how’s that helping?   As Ghandi says, “be the change that you wish to see in the world.

 

Back to my dilemma with the homeless guy at the intersection and my twenty dollars . . . I gave it to him. Not because he was deserving or worthy . . . but because I am.  I am worthy to find joy and not stay in darkness.

And so are you.  Trust in God. Treat everyone right. And . . .

 

  1. I hope you never lo-se your sen-se of wonder

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for granted

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed

 

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

 

Dance, I hope you dance     

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