Dust

Every now and then you come across an idea that seems pretty rad, something uniquely novel. A couple of weeks ago I went to a party, with DJ’s, loud sound systems, and electronic music. While I’ve been to parties similar to this before, the idea that made it so unique was coloured powder.

Imagine a crowd, thousands of people, all dancing together and simultaneously throwing coloured powder up into the air… visually impacting!

Having done it, I can honestly say that it’s just as fun as it looks/sounds. A bunch of us went to this party, and by the end of it we no longer looked like ourselves. By the end of the night the powder that had been thrown around had blended into one colour, completely covering our skin. I guess you would say we looked a little bit like blueberries. Once we had had our fill of dancing, music, and coloured powder we opted to go get some food.  We were received by the staff at a franchise take away with somewhat enamoured looks as they served seven life-sized Smurfs.

This reaction got me thinking. It reminded me of a phrase I’d heard before: ‘Be covered in the dust of your rabbi…’

The phrase relates to Old Testament times when rabbis (teachers of Jewish law) and their students spent a lot of time travelling around teaching.  Because the students would follow close behind the rabbi, the dust he kicked up would fall on them. By the end of the day the students would be caked in dust, which showed their level of commitment to the teaching of the rabbi.

I imagine that the students of the rabbis would’ve looked a little like we did that night at KFC. While this was a fun, harmless party, when was the last time someone saw something different in you? Something that showed them Jesus? When was the last time you were covered in the dust of your rabbi?