Calm and dance !

This is a poster announcing the just concluded inter house dance competition of the medical students at the Christian Medical college, Vellore.

The drawing captured my attention for three reasons.

The stethoscope plugs the ears of the caricatured man. He is 'deaf' to the music playing outside and seems to dance to the tune of the music from within. The music from within is ever present. It creates a dancing instinct. The halo around the head suggests an ecstatic experience but the face appears somber and gloomy. The music from within represents a reality- it is an authentic expression of the 'peeks and valleys' of life. To be fully present to ourselves, listen to the music from within. It would provide an insight how integrated or dichotomous we are in our outlook to life.

The spectators are two animals-I can't be sure whether they are donkeys or horses. This adds to the mystery of this drawing. Apart from the fact that it is an animal friendly poster, drawn by someone who like animals, this poster also points to the larger environment in which we live! Humans mostly live possessively unmindful of the rest of the living world. This poster is refreshing because it creates space for the animal world to join in the celebration of music and dance. It orientates us to be inclusive in our approach to the created world.

The third special feature of this poster is its caption. 'Keep calm and dance on' is captivating. Music has a, comforting, assuring and healing effect. That too in this poster, that music seems to originate from within. 'What is that we have except what has been given to us'! The music within is generated through the words, God speaks to us. When, Elizabeth, who was pregnant, heard Mary's greeting (Luk.1:41), 'the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the holy Spirit'. Elizabeth recalling this to Mary said, 'when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy'(V.44). We can keep an inner composure because we are blessed with joy. Dance then is an expression of this joy, inviting others to join in, in the celebration.

It was an unusual poster that pointed to the God of calm and joy! The evening was a celebration of God, who grants us music, calm and joy!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)