Barnes & NobleDancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving In Turbulent Times by Otis Moss, III

A Treatise to Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

To my daughter, Makayla, who taught her father how to Dance in the Dark’ The author, Otis Moss, III, is a Senior Pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. In addition to being a spiritual leader, he is a civil right leader, as well. While there are messages, scriptures, included in this beautifully composed book, at its heart is a message of overcoming injustice with love. Despite repeated threats to the church where he serves as Senior Pastor, this is not a condemnation of the increasing threats of violence against this church, the community it serves, and the targeted communities throughout our country. It is an invitation to learn what it means to confront and combat the violence through extending love, compassion and grace. Included in these pages are examples of when he, along with members of his congregation extended these offerings of grace to those who most would consider ‘unworthy’ of being offered any grace. While the author is a pastor, and there are moments based on his religious beliefs, this is less a book about religion itself, it is based more on the basic things we were taught. Be kind to others. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. To love your enemies, and do good, to lend a hand to those in need, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great. This is a ‘religion’ that doesn’t really require much, except being kind, and offering compassion. Extending an offering of forgiveness, of love, a powerful antidote to hate and injustice, or - to borrow from Huey Lewis, love is a “curious thing” that can “change a hawk to a little white dove.” There’s a moment in this that really moved me, when he wakes at three in the morning to find his daughter awake in her room, dancing. Irritated at and exhausted, he tells her to go to bed. But then, another voice inside him tells him to listen to her, to look at her. Her joy, so free from all of his dark thoughts that night, her joy so apparent despite the apparent darkness from both the night sky and those who would mean harm. And it changes him. The way he saw how his concerns, his worrying over legitimate issues caused him to focus only on those issues, and to lose sight of those moments of joy, of good, of love. This is a treatise to “'Love your neighbor as yourself'" even for those who are not religiously inclined, these are wise words on how to live a life that you can look back on without being haunted by regret. Be kind to others…it all boils down to just those simple words. Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster