Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time-September 8, 2019
A Preacher’s Perspective: Dancing with the Cross
I felt elated about following Jesus the first time I heard the song “I will follow him” from the 1992 film Sister Act. The film's version of Little Peggy March 1963 original iconic song was performed towards the tail end of the movie by a nun choir led by Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) for an audience made up of an unidentified pope and red hat cardinals. Little did I know at the time of the underpinning Hollywood sarcasm and ideological undermining at play in the song and the scene; it simply sounded joyful and thrilling to sing and dance to. I was particularly drawn to the song’s simple and catchy lyrics:
“I love him, I love him, I love him
And where he goes I'll follow, forever, and ever
And side by side together, I'll be with my true love
And share a thousand sunsets together beside him.”
A group of nuns excited by a life totally devoted to following Jesus in the monastic way of life as the upbeat version of the song suggests gave me an impression that discipleship or following Christ closely is mainly marked by festive living without a burden of any significant suffering or sacrifice. The major message I missed in my uncritical embrace of the singsong tone and value of the song is that authentic following of Jesus entails dancing with the cross. Many Christians approach discipleship in this way, a happy way of life eschewed of sufferings and self sacrifices. But in all sincerity, conditions for following Jesus necessarily includes self denial and renunciation, the readiness to walk the way of the Cross. It is a path of perfect love; it does not permit of lukewarmness. To “hate” one’s family and indeed one’s life (Lk. 14:26), St. Jose Maria Escriva says is to “love more, love better, in the sense that a selfish or partial love is not enough: we have to love others with the love go God.” True discipleship, the following of Jesus closely, includes the joyful acceptance to carry our crosses daily. We can always be assured that when we place God’s will above all things, including over our legitimate comfortable desires, Jesus will walk with us and strengthen us. IT IS when we live in imitation of Christ, to borrow the title of Thomas a Kempis classic, when we dance with the cross of Christ crucified that we can sincerely say,
‘I will follow him, follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep me away.”
Are you ready to embrace all it takes to be a follower of Christ? Think prayerfully about it. May Mary who stood at the foot of the cross pray for us.
In Christ’s Cross,
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
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