I don’t fancy myself much of a dancer*, but I have been known to venture out to the dance floor if the occasion calls for it! The first Ceilidh Iattended since moving to Scotland when I was invited to speak at an Easter Ceilidh that the Stirling University Christian Union was hosting. The closest thing to a Ceilidh in South Africa would probably be the humble ‘sokkie’ (“Sokkie is a style of dance that is unique to Southern Africa and popular mostly with Afrikaners. It is also a type ballroom dance.” – Wikipedia), but my two left feet could never quite get the hang of it. This didn’t’ prevent me from putting in a good attempt, and to my surprise I got the hang of it quite quickly – and nobody was harmed!
Now, as much as I may have fancied myself a lord of the dance after that, I was there to point to the Lord of All – Jesus Christ. The CU used the Ceilidh as a way to invite their friends to come along for some fun, but also to hear a talk on the hope of Christianity, and particularly the hope that comes from the truth of the resurrection of Jesus. Speaking to a room of about 40 students I had the opportunity to explain the reality and relevance of the resurrection of Jesus, and then field some questions from the audience. It was a great evening and I’m always so encouraged by student events where students from all different walks of life are open to coming and hearing different perspectives and then engaging with good questions. And most of all – I get to share the Gospel with them, and for many it’s the first time they’re hearing it. As a follow on from the event, the CU was starting a group study through the Gospel of Mark with those who wanted to know more about Jesus ands the Christian faith.
If you’re thinking about ways in which you can reach out to the community around you, why not follow the lead of the CU and arrange a community Ceilidh? Get some snack and drinks, get a band, and get a speaker, Solas regularly send speakers like myself to events such as these, and if you are planning one, click here to get in touch and find out how we can arrange that for you.
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*We are fact-checking Steve’s alleged prowess on the dance-floor. The full report is not yet available, but early indications suggest that the results will be somewhere between ‘awkward’ and ’embarrassing’ – ed.
