Lead me in the Dance

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, I feel quite melancholy. I feel like I am weeping inside, and any depressing news, even if it is from friends or the Bible readings for the day, makes me feel more melancholy. I try to find the gift in feeling flat; the fact that it allows me downtime after a period of sickness or stress reminds me of the mysterious depth of my soul. It can, I reflect, be an appropriate mood for Lent. To find wisdom in my times of melancholy, I often turn to the gift of the poets. This week, words from a poem by Mechthild of Magdeburg spoke to me,

I cannot dance, O Lord,
Unless You lead me.
If you wish me to leap joyfully,
Let me see You dance and sing.
So, Mechthild’s prayer has become my prayer this week. I cannot find the energy and joy to dance, so may the Lord of the Dance, the Lord of Love, lead me in the dance. If you are feeling flat, finding it difficult to pray, and difficult to engage with God and yourself, then may Mechthild’s prayer be your prayer too.


Brian Holliday
Anam Cara for the Guiding Committee