Jesus Loses his Groove

Please See
Soulwork Toward Sunday: self-guided retreat
Epiphany 2 (year C), January 20, 2012
“To Possess and to Impart”
http://www.edgeofenclosure.org

detail, The Marriage at Cana, Jan Jornelisz Vermeyen, c.1530

I would have loved to see Jesus dance at the wedding at Cana. What kind of dancer was he? When he danced in a circle with other men – like Israelis or Greeks do now – did he stand out? Could he leap higher, turn in mid-air, plunge lower, spin to the left and to the right more radiantly than the other guys?

Or, was he a bit off, not jiving with the music, never hitting the groove. Oh, that Jesus, he’s a good storyteller all right, but dancing? Ehhh… not so much. Even though in the beginning, before the world began, dancing to the music of the spheres, he could leap like a man on the moon. Once the Word was made flesh, his rhythm choked. Jesus was ‘Tempted in every way as we are but did not sin’, but nevertheless he didn’t inherit the dancing gene from his ancestor David, who was brilliant, both as a sinner and dancer.

“Your boy needs to loosen up,” an observant matron with nothing better to do says to Mary. “Give him some more wine.” Mary checks on the wine. A little awkward with social skills herself, she brings the problem not to her host but to her son.

But he’s just finally found his groove, his eyes rolled back up into his head. She taps him on the shoulder. He complains, “What’s the wine situation got to do with you or me? Get thee behind me, Woman, I’m dancing.” But the interruption breaks his mojo and he’s all left feet among the circle of dazzling men practicing their manly arts.

Being a little tipsy himself, his rhythm off, he does what it’s not yet time to do. This is no party trick. Once again, he’ll have to get out of town fast. He attracted attention at Cana, but also some thirsty disciples.