The inflexion on this phrase should be noted. The question isn’t asking who shouldn’t we love. The question, posed by my Afro Caribbean dance teacher was meant as in, “Who Are You?” As in you, “Who in the world do you think you are that you can choose not to love someone?”
Who are you that you should decide who to love and who not to?
I’ve been taking this dance class for almost a year now and I must say, as much as it is a dance class, its also a class on history, cultures and spirituality. Every class is infused with stories of our teacher’s life and experiences, folk tales, ancient traditions and the history of the various dances that we do.
I love these movements. The spider dance. The different love dances. The funerial dance.
All the turns. All the shakes. All the movement.
And those drums.
There are spirits in those drums.
I remember years ago while studying theater in London, we had a guest visit us from Bali who taught us a tradition dance and how to play a song on their special instruments. I remember we had to be very careful in where we placed the instruments, in where we stepped and how we bowed. Everything had a meaning. But I remember her saying that every object, every thing had a spirit.
I loved that she said it but I don’t know if I believed her. Although once we fully immersed our self in either playing the song or dancing too, I swear I heard this extra sound and I think it was the sound of the spirits. I think energy takes form and it begins to do things.
The same can be said for my dance class. Sometimes when I just let go, when I forget about the steps and just let the music take me over, those drums take on a spirit of their own! And if the drummers are really feeling it, they start chanting. I swear in those moments, I’m in the presence of great spirits.
I think at some point in last night’s class, we were just going through the motions without actually telling a story and our teacher stopped us. “This is a dance of LOVE,” she said. She demonstrated the move again. Later on in class as she spoke of spirit and how it compels us and helps us and saves us, she then said, “Who are You not to love?”
It hit me right in the chest. It made me think of any pre-judgements I make. Any selfish tendencies I have. We are all the same. We are all holy and sacred created from the essence of God. I am no better or worse then you. I am You. I am God. You are God.You and I and God are one.
So who are any of us not to love the person beside us.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Its just a known fact, that we won’t all be best friends. Some people just don’t mesh well together. Some of you, for the sake of love, had just keep your distance from me. And beyond that, there’s also tough love. The love that holds people accountable to laws, morality and acceptable norms.
Even still. Something about that quote resonated with me. Maybe it reminded me about my Grace Project. (I haven’t done videos but I’ve definitely been collecting footage). I appreciate that when our actions did not match the expression, she stopped us, corrected us and then we were able to show love in our dance. The same can be said for life.
Love Spirit. Love Self. Love Others.
SLY: Yea, its the alcoholic’s prayer.
