The incarnation of the Divine Word taking birth in Bethlehem is the beginning of the divine dance which is the “perichoresis”. This dance is circular from the outside to the inside and from there to the outside of the circle itself. It is rhythmic and intertwined with the divine and the human at the same time.

God comes to us, taking our human condition to reveal who He is in a joyful dance. It is to reveal to us, in human language, the divine love in action and dynamism. That is why Jesus spoke primarily about love in synonyms of mercy, forgiveness, love without limit or conditioning (Lk 15, 11-32). His miracles, of healings, his teachings on the path of happiness, solidarity, teamwork and collaboration, are steps in this dance. The group of apostles and other disciples in which also women were included was a revolutionary novelty of the time. This is from the community and brotherhood. Their community life and mission in love were a dance with kingdom values.

The direct participation in the trinitarian dance is in revers procedure. The Latin word inversus means reverse. Many maintain the idea of the Holy Trinity in the form of a pyramid or a triangle. That is, God up there at the top of the pyramid and we human beings at the base. In this there is a distancing and you cannot dance then, for the divine dance of “perichoresis” is circular in participation, promise, in harmony and peace. The divine dance is an active dynamism.

In other words, in visual comparison, the image of the mentioned idea is like the letter A. The nativity of the Son of God is like the letter V. That is why it is the dance in oneness.

Christmas is an invitation to understand more and deeply about this process of God’s arrival of Jesus Christ in dance. It is a dynamism of singing, dancing, partying, commitment and sharing.

The closer we go to Him, much happier we find our lives. Because love is the panacea. It is what everyone needs. Nobody gets tired of love. That is why the divine dance is love in action.

Some sectors of the Church or congregations also have the hierarchical concept of pyramidal shape. The Pope or the superior up there, meanwhile the members are hardly important and are at the bottom of the latter. But in divine circular dance such thing never works.

The responding Church, with synod spirit and service in a partaking mission and the evangelization, is carried out among all as brothers and sisters as this reverse process of the divine dance. God becomes smallest to dwell in our hearts, in our communities and families to enlighten our life and mission as part of a dance. Joseph, Mary and Jesus began this dance in their family at Nazareth.
In this time of reorganization of our life and mission since the pandemic and the dawn of the Artificial Intelligence, dance is the alternative dynamism.

If we understand it, Christmas is a spiritual and human dance, something that reveals and gives us, if not, it is a routine with a lot of noise…
Let us ask the Emanuel, God with us, for the grace of being part of this reverse process of the divine with us in the form of dance, love, of partaking mission. Let us dance and serve.

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Saju George Aruvelil SVD is from India. He is one of the first OTP who has gone to Argentina. He finished his theological studies for the priesthood also there. He then began his service in the education field in our SVD institutions. He obtained a licentiate in Spirituality from Pontifical University of Comillas, Madrid. He also holds a doctorate in Theology from the Pontifical University of Argentina, Buenos Aires. He also helps in the formation of laity and religious candidates. He gives retreats and leads workshops, seminars, etc. He has a radio program and writes in a local newspaper. At present he is a promoter of Laudato Si Movement for caring for the Earth together with his parish priestly pastoral activities.