Caught Up.

Aug 21

“This is a call to guarding our heart like never before, ‘for from it flows the issues of life.’ Your art flows from your heart.”

I can’t seem to change the subject with God.

I am constantly considering this odd, present moment in history. We’re living in one of the most delicate and perplexing eras. Since the moment the doorway to the infinite-realm-of-possibility dropped into our back pockets, also known as the iPhone, we have been caught up.

It was a slow evolution, one feature added at a time, nothing too invasive. First, text messaging, a much quicker option than calling. Then games, phone cameras, and the internet. I guess that includes e-mail and Facebook, and Instagram and Pinterest and, well… there went our ability to discern when and where is an “appropriate” time for perusing the aisles of endless web data.

Not to mention, this is the first time in history that every single person with a smartphone (2.7 billion people) has an invitation to the world’s stage, or a “platform”, as we call it. You know, a place to be seen, followed, and liked, but not by people who know you, rather, people on the other side of the world. Never before has the human brain had to constantly consider the ramifications of their reputation or “influence” to anyone beyond their general city limits.

Never before have we been so occupied with what the outside world thinks about us. We are caught up.

Caught by definition means intercepted and held; seized or taken a hold of; trapped or accidentally entangled in something. If you’re anything like me, your attention shifted from God’s intoxicating goodness; His dreams for me, over to the intoxicating dreams paraded 24/7 by strangers on Instagram.

“Learning to host the Presence of God is the biggest challenge of the Christian life.” - Bill Johnson

This is too precious to hold lightly. Are we aware of how dramatic of a shift is taking place?

Hosting implies both the invitation and the connection with someone inside our home, our interior.

Meanwhile, unknowingly, we’ve invited all sorts of other voices, not to mention ads and opinions and graphics, and the list goes on. It’s one loud, distracting living room.

When you step back and look at what Jesus is doing for the world (and His church) globally, it’s clear that He’s increasing our emotional health. Countless neuroscience studies show the effects of our thought-life on our success and overall health. By now, it’s common knowledge that 75-90% of disease is stress-induced, and yet we’re still addicted to the hustle and the noise.

“Our time is our life, and our attention is the doorway to our hearts.” - John Mark Comer, ‘The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry’

Why does this matter for dancers?

Frankly, it’s crucial for all artists, and artists are crucial to this generation. We are the culture-makers. The youth live for Billie Eilish lyrics. So what are we singing, what are we dancing?

Even more, what is catching us? What are we beholding?

Dr. Caroline Leaf calls it “self-regulating,” taking time out of each day to switch off the external world and, “daydream into your internal world”. Are we catching what we’ve been thinking and feeling lately? More than ever, we need to take toxic mindsets captive, the “I cant’s”, or “I don’t have’s”. Our inner-world is bombarded by what everyone else has.

“When you forget who you are and whose you are, you start to compromise.” Kris Vallotton

This is a fight. A fight for our attention. A fight for the doorway to our hearts.

This is a call to guarding our heart like never before, “for from it flows the issues of life.” Your art flows from your heart. (Maybe cheesy, but profoundly true.)

By staying distracted from the abundant life that is constantly being poured into our hearts (Rom 5:5), what are we compromising? Our enjoyment of God’s endless beauty? Our delight and devotion to the gift of dance He’s given us?

“Our task is not to protest the world into a certain moral conformity, but to attract the world to the saving beauty of Christ.” Brian Zahnd

Holy Spirit, catch us up again in the beauty of our Abba, the Author and Finisher of our one precious life.

Whitney Hancock

Whitney Hancock (BA) is a coach and mentor at Move True (@movetrue__) where she focuses on supporting dancers in mindset training around trauma-triggers, body-shame and perfectionism. She is the former founder and director of the Redding City Dance Company (2014-2019) and continues to teach and choreograph while traveling to work with companies on emotional health practices.

Whitney is offering the Being Salt community a free 40 minute consultation where you can identify your greatest current challenge around dance. In this session, we will explore the root of that challenge with God and create a plan to sustain the healing He brings into your dance practice. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, e-mail whitney@movetruedance.com and write 'Being Salt Session' in the subject line.