You Can Dance If You Want To...

I couldn't believe Toby's band didn't play the song "Safety Dance." Well, I guess, for one they are not that kind of band, and two that song is stupid. I write to you from the havens of Minneapolis, Minnesota - Eden Prairie to be exact. As we stop for a short visit and to witness the baptism of our niece/Trina's goddaughter, I must regress upon notes and wonderful memories in order to bring you all up to date.

Toby is Trina's friend from college and a music professor at Minnesota State University, husband to one of Trina's closest friends from college (Patty), a friend of mine, a wonderful musician and artist, and one kick-ass bass player and band leader. Besides jazz ensembles he leads a "horn band" sort of like the P-Funk All Stars, Chicago, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Tower of Power, etc. In fact they cover a lot of these great bands and have a few originals - all 100 of them. Okay, maybe not 100, but it sure looks that way once you get a five-piece band plus the whole brass and wind sections of the Fargo Symphony Orchestra on a 9' by 15' platform suspended on a balcony over a bar crowd. While in Fargo we got a chance to go out and see Toby's band, "Post Traumatic Funk Syndrome," perform. What a blessing. And what a calling that Toby and these musicians have responded to faithfully. And all the while humbly, as they all dropped their titles, their Ph.D.s, their acheivements to help us enjoy. Because of their faithfulness to respond to their call and to rigorously practice their trade in all that is necessary to spread the good news, we were able to meet new friends, dance, and have a good time even though it was a balmy 22 below zero outside with a slight wind chill.

I remember telling Toby before we left, as he and I scanned the bar together, "Well, they are all drunk and dancing, so your work here is done, huh." We laughed, And Trina and I then gathered ourselves along with Patty, bundled up, and headed to collect the babysitter and remunerate her with proper penance. Because Patty had to attend to a tireless infant, Trina and I had the task of returning said babysitter back to her abode with no clue where we were going in this city we had only spent about 20 hours awake. We tried to help the teenage girl in the backseat relax with conversation about her future and her likings, et. al. She was an enjoyable and mature young lady. It was fun, we did get her home safely, and ourselves back to our temporary home in the Tundra. And all that with a great deal of peace and faithfulness that all was well.

Why? Because we had heard the good news that we are called to dance. Toby and his band had done there job well that evening. they reminded us that we are to dance, and to help others dance as well. Our shared vocation is to bring humanity hope by making the music that makes people dance. In dancing there is many things, but most of all peace; and in peace there is hope that all can yet be reconciled for a better world. In making music in whatever way we do so, it is not our job to worry about who shows up, but rather to sing, "You can dance if you want to. You can leave your cares behind." Those yearning for the peace that surpasses all understanding will respond. It may take them a few drinks, but they will respond. Thanks, Toby, for inviting the world to dance, good and faithful servant.