Dancing Jesuit

The Dancing Jesuit

By Francis Gonsalves, S.J.

(Excerpts) Chenni, India -- King David danced before the Ark of the Lord with all his might (2 Sam 6:14,16), and proclaimed, "I will make merry before the Lord" (v.21). Likewise, Indian Jesuit Fr. Saju George uses India's ancient Bharatanatyam dance not only as a means of making merry before God but also as a medium of evangelization. "Dance is integral to my priesthood," says Saju mopping the sweat from a supple body that has just performed Mary's Magnificat. His magical mudras (dance gestures conveying meaning) enthrall appreciative audiences, worldwide, and give Indian worshippers a glimpse of God.

Dance as a liturgical 'sacred performance'

"Liturgy is sacred performance," explains Saju referring to the role of dance in Catholic liturgy. "The Eucharist is 'community worship' and the faithful assemble -- very much like the audience in a theatre -- for a communitarian God-experience. The priest is the 'main performer' who animates worship from the front." Saju feels that dance is a comprehensive form of worship: "For the dancer, it involves the mind, heart, body and soul, and for the faithful it is both, an audio as well as a visual means of encountering God."

Dance moves as 'Good News'

Saju considers himself a 'servant of God's word'. "The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword" (Heb 4:12), but, says he, "that sword must be wielded. Through dance, I give momentum to God's word in tangible form. When God's word is proclaimed in body-movements the impact is incredible." Saju 's mudras , and bodily movements synchronized with meaningful words, are heartrending homilies on creation and reconciliation, crucifixion and resurrection.

Dance as dialogue among Indian religions

Saju has learnt to take bouquets and brickbats in his quest to evangelize through dance. Since Bharatanatyam -- offspring of Bharata's Natyasastra circa 200 B.C. to 200 A.D. -- is typically a dance that originated in Hindu temples, some Christians criticize this Catholic priest's passion for it.

"How do you reconcile your being a Catholic priest with also doing dances of Hindu gods?" I teasingly asked this onetime theology-student of mine. Saju replied, "For me, Christ is God; but when, for example, I do the Ananda-Tandava (the awesome dynamic dance of bliss) of Siva-Nataraja which symbolizes the five cosmic acts of Siva -- namely, creation, preservation, destruction, concealment and bestowal of grace -- I do not find these contrary to the Divine action manifest in our everyday experience and liturgical practice, and so I put full force into conveying these aspects."

Saju's dancing has opened doors to the Divine and built bridges between believers of religions, especially the Hindu majority in India. "People come together through dance," says he. His dance "gurus" (teachers) include Hindus like Khagendranath Barman, C.V. Chandrashekhar and Kalanidhi Narayanan who respect the young Jesuit's bhakti (devotion) and provide him with valuable suggestions in the development of Christian dance themes ("National Catholic Reporter," March 29, 2005).

[TBC: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). One wonders how a religion (Hinduism) that is absolutely contrary to biblical Christianity is able to provide "valuable suggestions in the development of Christian dance themes."]