By Gretchen Rehberg | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
The other day, as I got into the car to run an errand, I caught part of an interview about how we can move beyond seeing those we disagree with in simple, stereotypical ways and instead recognize them as complex human beings.
When pushed for concrete examples of actions we can take, the interviewee said, “Sing every day, and dance once a week for the next six months.”
I was surprised by this answer! But she went on to say that we must learn to get in touch with our own emotions, our own bodies and singing and dancing help ground us.
She said that when we interact with someone who causes our gut to hurt, or our heart to race or our arms to clench, we need to be able to identify the emotion behind that feeling. Then we need to respond from an awareness of how we are feeling rather than simply reacting.
I was intrigued by the interview and wished that I had caught the whole thing.
Sing every day and dance once a week. Sing every day and dance once a week. These practices are known to reduce stress, build community and help people feel connected.
We are one of the few cultures with little singing in the public sphere — a culture where many people say, “I can’t sing,” and where singing has largely been left to professionals.
The Episcopal Church comes out of the English choral tradition. It has a long history of four-part harmony — of singing as one body while depending on diverse voices to create beautiful music.
Singing is good for the soul; singing is also good for the body.
“Sing to the Lord a new song” — a frequently repeated command in the Psalms — is not just a call to do something new; it is a call to sing! I often think that the “new song” I sing is sung in the same words and tune but on a new day.
This is what makes the song new again every morning. The song might in fact be new because the new day has its own joys and challenges, but it might also be new because ancient words are brought to new life in current situations.
How are you being invited to sing today? How are you being invited to sing to the Lord a new song? How might we throw off the shackles of “I can’t sing” and embrace the joy of a new song?
Perhaps we can see these questions as also metaphors that ask about more than literal singing! Maybe as we enter into Lent, a good discipline to embrace is to sing every day and dance once a week!
In a world of increasing polarization, disdain and contempt for others, let the songs we sing be ones of compassion and love. Let the songs we sing be ones of joy and lament, celebration and sorrow.
We do not need to ignore the realities of our day, but we can frame them through the lens of Jesus. We can address them through the call to love. So let us sing, let us dance and let us stay rooted and grounded in love.
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