Choreography Worth Copying

“Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:11

I spent Saturday evening at a dance recital and was thoroughly entertained and amused.  Besides seeing my own children toe and twirl across the stage (beautifully and gracefully, I might add—without inheriting any such ability from their mother, I must add), my favorite part was watching the preschool and kindergarten students.

Their performances were mostly the same.  More than several small children filed onto the stage, dressed in adorable outfits, smiling, giggling, squinting in the lights, and waving to their moms.  They positioned themselves in two lines, not necessarily described as straight, and waited for the music to start.  When the tune began, so did the routine.  Most of the girls confidently executed the first few measures, but as the song progressed, the dancing regressed, and only a few knew for sure what the next move should be.  The rest resorted to “copy my neighbor” choreography. 

This method works fine as long as the girl beside you gets it right, but if the one you’re imitating is tapping when you should be twirling or skipping when you should be standing still, your entire dance ends up in jumbled disarray.    

Such a performance is cute with little kids but not with big Christians, and yet we sometimes find ourselves unsure of our next move and desperately hoping that the person we’re copying is getting it right.  It’s not wrong to look over or up to those who are faithfully following our Leader.  The Bible is filled with real life examples worth imitating, and quite often the pew behind us and the pulpit up front are full of the same.  How my life has been blessed, guided, and encouraged by men and women who have modeled what it means to love Jesus supremely and to love others unselfishly.  It’s ok to copy; just make sure the ones you’re watching are dancing to God’s rhythm—not a half beat behind or whole step back.

The Apostle Paul, realizing the need and benefit of right-beside-you examples, instructed those he knew to “follow my example as I follow the example of Christ”(1 Cor 1:11), and we should be able to tell others the same.  The dance of life is filled with delights, difficulties, and distractions.  Sometimes the bright lights are blinding.  Sometimes we get too focused on the crowd.  Occasionally we haven’t been listening closely enough to our Instructor, and often we’ve been skipping practice.  We all need the dancers beside us to know the right moves and to make them, and we need to remember that they need the same from us, too.  When we follow Christ together, “copy my neighbor” choreography creates a beautiful recital of His grace and His love, and our lives become a stunning performance of His power, purpose, and plan.

Don’t be scared of the stage.  Listen to the Teacher, stand by those who know the dance, and help each other make the right moves.  That’s choreography worth copying.