Thought for the Week: Dancing with God
Stephen Feltham shares an encounter in the 'Thought for the Week'
How often do we hear familiar words of advice and, perhaps because of their familiarity, take them for granted? Familiar words are familiar because they are repeated so often. Is this because of their deep spiritual meaning or perhaps their poetic resonance? Nonetheless, when life jumps up and hits you square in the face, it is a jolt that brings with it not just the joy of realising what wonderful words and wisdom is offered us within Quakerism, but the bliss, almost euphoria, of having experienced it. My simple experience was over in a flash but, even so, lasting in its effect.
It was early one morning when I was walking my two whippets, Fortnum and Mason, for their first excursion of the day. It was one of those wonderfully fresh days in the early spring when the sky was blue, one’s breath hung in the air like little wisps of magic, and the sunbeams shone down through the trees like search-lights seeking a budding flower to awaken. I was walking the dogs towards the sun and all was bright and glistening as the early morning frost turned to dew drops on the trees and sparkled like twinkling diamonds. The golden gravel path stretched out in front of me and meandered through the trees, where now and again the early morning sun’s rays gently warmed it.
It was at this time that I had my magic and spiritual moment that is as strong with me now as when I experienced it. There before me in a column of warm air that was rising as a thermal pillar from the gravel path, captured by a sunbeam, was a column of midges. So what? We have all seen them but this time what was before me was enlightenment, for is not enlightenment seeing what one always saw but with new understanding?
The midges were jiggling and dancing and hopping around in the warming thermal column of air. They seemed to be just full of the joy of life and there were thousands of them. I have never seen such happiness like that before and, even now, I am in wonder at myself that I should consider happiness and midges in the same phrase or even linked together. But, why should not the smallest of God’s creatures be entitled to the happiness that we seem to demand as a right?
I carried on with my walk with the dogs but I was different and remain so to this day for, as I walked slowly forward, a haiku formed in my mind. It has remained with me and gives me great pleasure whenever it is recalled, not so much for its words but for the enlightenment they remind me of:
The column of midges was dancing in the sunlight.
And God danced with them.
I often think how true those words from Advices & queries 7 are: ‘There is inspiration to be found all around us, in the natural world…’ I am so grateful for that experience and to those midges for demonstrating the pure joy of the simple things in life. Before that walk with the dogs on that crisp and sunny morning I had never countenanced the possibility of God dancing, but I can enthusiastically claim that I have now seen him doing it, and it was such a jolly experience.
For myself, I feel that I have yet to dance with God but having seen Him doing it and seen the example and the joy of the midges – I am up for it.
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