Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A Portrait of Worship, Part IV

She sits in the same seat every Sunday.  The head-to-toe black clothing and dyed black hair are in stark contrast to her pale, white skin.  On the outside she is in her late 20's, thin and fragile, yet on the inside she is an old soul who seems to carry a heavy burden.

Another woman, who is in many ways the complete opposite, sits next to her each week.  Big, black, beautifully exuberant and aged by decades of life, she wears the bright colours of traditional African dresses.

They look for each other every week, these two women.  Whoever gets there first saves a seat for the other one. And when they finally meet, there is a joyous reunion as if they haven't seen each other for years.  The older woman embraces the younger woman with as much warmth and love as I have ever seen for someone who isn't a family member (in the genetic sense).  The young woman loses her façade and smiles as their souls connect.  And then...

Then comes my favourite part.  These two women dance together during the worship time.  No one else dances at church; only these two ladies.  And it's not a performance.  For reasons beyond my comprehension, the walls that would separate these women during the week - the walls that say they have nothing in common and should even judge one another - disappear completely.  Why?  How? 

I have no answer.  I only know that they dance, and in that dance there is more Love and Healing than I have words to describe.

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