Dance Anyways
by Ian Urriola
Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Don’t suppress the Spirit. Don’t brush off Spirit-inspired messages, but examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good. Avoid every kind of evil. Now, may the God of peace himself cause you to be completely dedicated to him; and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept intact and blameless at our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming. The one who is calling you is faithful and will do this.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, The Common English Bible
There’s a tea towel hanging up in my kitchen with a portrait of renowned feminist and one of the mothers of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the 20th Century, Emma Goldman, and a quote that, though it succinctly summarizes a longer passage from her autobiography, Living My Life, never actually directly appears in any of her known writings. This aphorism, attributed to Goldman, reads: “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be a part of your revolution.” A famous atheist, her inclusion in this devotion is probably making her roll in her grave.
It is so easy to fall into patterns and cycles of despair when confronting the realities of deep, systemic injustices. But what I love about this bold statement of truth, so much so that I have it hanging on my kitchen wall in such a way that it greets me as I engage in the ritual of preparing my morning coffee, is that giving into despair is not how we win. That’s not to say we peddle in half-truths that comfort us into complacency. The vocation of a Christian in any generation is to be able to bear witness to an honest assessment of the state of the word in all its messiness, warts and all, and refrain from retreating into ourselves. Our work as organizers for justice must drive us beyond ourselves into deep, meaningful connection with others. It means finding beauty in the brokenness and shining a light on it it when we do. And yes, it’s going to mean dancing and singing and painting and sculpting and trafficking in every creative art that fills our spirit and shares our story. Because a revolution devoid of that is not a revolution I want to be part of.
Advent marks the beginning of a new year in the Christian liturgical calendar, and as we look ahead at the year to come, there is much to be anxious about. Militarism, capitalism, and racism, the three great evils of our society as foretold by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., continue to tighten their grip around our collective consciousness and imagination. We’re faced with yet another “most important election of our lifetimes” here in the United States, shining a light on the political calcification that haunts our society. And, in our United Methodist denomination, we’re going to hold our first regular General Conference in eight years, over four years after our Special General Conference, It’s anybody’s guess as to what will come out of Charlotte.
No matter what happens, this next year is going to be hard. There’s no sugarcoating it. And. We owe it to those who came before us and those who will come after us to not just keep our heads down, harden our hearts, and seal ourselves off from the world. We must, instead, draw water from the well that will quench the thirst of our souls. When every other power and principality would drive us into isolation, we must, instead, take a step out and embrace the messiness of relationship. And when someone says there is no place for joy or for dance in their movement, dance anyways.
You make our collective work possible by your witness for justice every day in your church, community, and Annual Conference. MFSA does not receive any financial support from the United Methodist Church's giving channels. 100% of our budget is funded through your membership dues and your generosity in giving.
Ian Carlos Urriola is a lay Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Development and Outreach at Shenandoah University, a United Methodist-related institution of higher education in Winchester, Virginia. A lifelong United Methodist, he has held leadership roles at every level of the denomination’s polity and structure. He currently serves on the General Conference delegation for the Upper New York Annual Conference, which is where his local church membership at Asbury First United Methodist Church in Rochester, NY, still resides. Additionally, Ian has a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from American University, both in Washington, DC. He lives in Winchester with his partner, Jo, and her ever-growing collection of plant friends.