Are you familiar with this quote? It is quite old, and no one knows exactly who said it first. It usually gets ascribed to Confucius or to an ancient Celtic proverb, but regardless of its origins, it speaks powerfully to us today.
It primarily gets used as a caution to never trust power (the sword) to a person who lacks the skill, grace, or restraint (dancing) to use it responsibly. Some see dancing as the relational counterbalance to aggression, hostility, or war. And still others hear in it an appeal to balanced living—understanding the rhythms and seasons of life. The quote holds echoes of much older poetry from Ecclesiastes 3:8 “(There is) a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”
We are living in a time when people are quick to go for the sword and weary of seeking peace. We no longer value agreeing to disagree, understanding before being understood, or loving beyond our differences, but we need to.
I don’t see a lot of hope if we forget how to dance. If it’s me versus you and us versus them, and everyone itching for a sword, our divides will go deeper, more relationships will fracture, and humanity will diminish along the way.
Let’s contend for our convictions without villainizing those who disagree. Let’s have spirited debate with people who see the world differently, not devolving into bigotry or hate.
Easier said than done? Of course! Possible in every situation? Not likely. But we need to try.
Our world needs beauty, joy, and room for powerfully lobbied ideas. We need a radical return to the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus blessed the peacemakers and condemned the violent way.
I get it. Even appealing to Jesus stirs up controversy today. And I don’t know how this works on the scale of nations and world powers. But I do know that the Way of Jesus is never out-of-date. Loving enemies and praying for persecutors is what characterizes people as God’s kids.
Let’s pray that our leaders—in every sphere of society—move in this direction. And let’s practice it with our own relationships and influence. Perhaps 2026 could be a year with a little more dancing.