Religion and Community
by Jim Miller
A religion is sparked by a moment of insight. A cross. A miracle. A healing. The realization that “this is of God.”
They gather together, build an altar and sacrifice an offering to God to mark the time and place of the sighting. They chant and dance themselves into a trance. Some have visions; they “see God.”
The visionary shares his or her vision of what God is like or has said to them. The visionary becomes the enlightened One. The others did not dance, but “believe” the dancer. They bring him gifts and he teaches them. His successors continue to teach his words, but they do not dance.
After a few generations the words are declared “Holy.” No one does the dance, but the words are revered.
What happens to the hearers of hearers? Since they lack first-hand knowledge, they accept another’s experience, now just words. The words are followed without thinking. “Do they still apply? Do they fit current realities? Are they still real?” It’s difficult to say, for no one dances.
The Dancer now old and unable to dance, longs for the ability to dance again and find God, again. He looks at the followers. Tears come as he drops his head and cries aloud, “They do not understand! They need to do their own dance.”
Every dance, like every dancer, is different. We all have a different rhythm. We were all given a new song and each adds to the others. There is no One Dance for all, but a dance for ALL. We are like instruments in an orchestra. When all play they make music more beautiful then any one playing alone. Like parts of a body, we are all part of the Whole.
