Danced Without Leaving Room for Jesus: Where Did That Phrase Come From?
Christian culture is full of traditional sayings. Psalms, liturgies, and Biblical stories inspire them. Cultural expectations do, too. For instance, you won’t find a Bible verse that says, “He danced without leaving room for Jesus,” or “She is dancing without leaving room for Jesus.” So, where did that popular saying come from?
What Does “Danced Without Leaving Room for Jesus” Mean?
If someone says, “They danced without leaving room for Jesus,” they’re insinuating that a couple danced with very little room between their bodies. Christian men and women are expected to maintain enough physical separation to fit an extra person between them. The extra person they’re encouraged to imagine is Jesus. It’s unlikely that anyone will want to behave inappropriately with Jesus supervising a couple.
Leave Room for Jesus and the Importance of Purity
Physical purity is an important value in the church. Purity can come in many forms, but the Bible emphasizes sexual purity as one of the ways we are meant to honor God with our bodies. In 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Paul says, “Flee sexual immorality! ‘Every sin that a man does is outside the body,’ but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Not everyone agrees on what constitutes sexual immorality, however. God’s Word says that sex is designed for marriage. Generally, premarital sex is considered a sin. Therefore, inappropriate closeness could lead to inappropriate touching, resulting in sexual immorality. That’s why the phrase doesn’t just apply to dance partners. It’s not uncommon to hear variations of the phrase, such as:
- Leave room for Jesus.
- Save room for Jesus.
- Make room for Jesus.
No matter where a couple finds themselves, the admonishment still applies. Sitting on a couch? Make room for Jesus. Dining in a restaurant booth? Leave room for Jesus. Alone at home? Save room for Jesus.
By leaving room for Jesus, people hope to prevent temptation. Theoretically, if there’s room for another person between a couple, the risk for premature intimacy decreases. Add a supernatural Chaperone who empowers us to live a holy life, and perhaps couples will think twice before taking things to the next level.
Of course, not every couple’s activity is bound to lead to sin. Not all affectionate touch does either. Dancing, however, seems to be a risky venture for Christians invested in purity.
The Origins of Dancing Without Leaving Room for Jesus
Dancing can be a sensual art form. Many animals use dance as a courtship ritual. A successful display can convince a pair to mate. Human dancing can also be a tool for seduction, but there are also times when it’s a harmless social activity. These blurred lines cause many Christians to hesitate before engaging in it. So, the phrase “leave room for Jesus” likely evolved from the desire to establish healthy boundaries for believers.
There is little recorded history about the literal origin of the phrase “danced without leaving room for Jesus.” Since standards for purity are found in many religions, it comes as no surprise that something like this would develop to communicate purity expectations.
Most likely, the phrase started during one of the sexual revolutions of the 20th century. Promiscuity became increasingly acceptable in the 1920s, 1960s, and 1990s. Conservative Christians endeavored to shelter their children from the moral decay of dance halls and worldly mindsets about human sexuality.
These cultural shifts inspired many purity programs, such as the purity pledges, purity rings, and purity balls in the 1990s. So, coining the phrase “leave room for Jesus” was likely one of the strategies that developed during one of these eras.
Modern Uses of Leave Room for Jesus
These days, you’ll still hear people say, “They danced without leaving room for Jesus” or “Save room for Jesus.” However, it’s rarely an admonishment for purity. It’s more often satirical or a joke.
There are many examples of the phrase popping up in modern culture, such as an episode of the hit ABC show, Black-ish, and a popular online meme. A popular movie, Footloose, doesn’t incorporate the phrase but centers its entire plot on a conservative community who believes dance will corrupt the virtue of their children.
Most recently, churches began using the phrase to encourage social distancing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some congregations cheekily used “leave room for Jesus” on posters to remind congregants to slow the spread of the virus by maintaining appropriate physical distancing.
The variation “make space for Jesus” is also morphing to remind people to leave room in their lives for Jesus’s influence. People are busier and more distracted than ever, so counseling believers to leave room for Jesus in their day-to-day lives is an important reminder.
Examples of Dancing in the Bible
Dancing is a common pastime in the Bible. It was an important part of Hebrew culture. Through dancing, people worshiped and praised God, as well as celebrated festivals and victories.
People Who Danced for God in the Bible
Moses’s sister led women in song and dance to praise God for parting the Red Sea: “Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.” (Exodus 15:20)
Women came out to sing and dance after David killed Goliath. “As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music. The women sang to one another as they played, and said, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.’” (1 Samuel 18:6-7)
King David famously danced before the Lord when the Ark of the Covenant was finally brought back to Israel. He danced so enthusiastically that his wife was embarrassed. “David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up Yahweh’s ark with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
As Yahweh’s ark came into David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart. They brought in Yahweh’s ark, and set it in its place, in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.” (2 Samuel 6:14-17)
The prophet Jeremiah condoned dancing as a form of praise for God’s victories. “I will build you again, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel. You will again be adorned with your tambourines, and will go out in the dances of those who make merry.” (Jeremiah 31:4)
“Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance; the young men and the old together;
for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.” (Jeremiah 31:13)
There are even verses where the Bible tells people to dance. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven… a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 NIV)
Several Psalms also commend the spiritual merits of dance:
- “Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp!” (Psalm 149:3)
- “Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute!” (Psalm 150:4).
Sinful Dancing in the Bible
There are negative examples of dancing in the Bible. For instance, the children of Israel used it to worship idols after they left Egypt. “As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain.” (Exodus 32:19)
Another account of idolatrous dance was on Mt. Carmel. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest to prove which God was real. They danced before their altar to try and convince Baal to consume their offering. “They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, ‘Baal, hear us!’ But there was no voice, and nobody answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.” (1 Kings 18:26)
King Herod killed John the Baptist because of a beautiful dance. “When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, ‘Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you’ …She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, ‘I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.’” (Mark 6:22,25)
Dancing can glorify God or offend him. Proper discernment is crucial for understanding how it fits into the Christian life.
- Related Topic : What Are Jesus’ Commandments?
Did Jesus Dance?
Jesus is the model for a Christian lifestyle. It’s important to look to him as our example. So, did Jesus dance? There is no direct Biblical evidence that he did or didn’t dance. However, Jesus was Jewish. Since dance is a common practice in Judaism, he likely participated in celebratory dances appropriate to his culture. Jesus notably attended a wedding in Cana, where he performed his first miracle (John 2). Jewish weddings were exuberant and lasted for several days. Most likely, Jesus participated in the customary dances.
Jesus also casually references dancing when addressing his peers. “To what then should I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace, and call to one another, saying, ‘We piped to you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned, and you didn’t weep.’” (Luke 7:31–32).
In this passage, Jesus gives an example that would make sense to the people of his time. He expected they would understand that when a joyful song is played, it is appropriate to dance to it.
Dance for Christ
The way Jesus danced probably didn’t look like the dancing we’re familiar with today. Jewish rabbis forbade mixed-gender dancing for centuries. The scrutiny over physical intimacy between men and women was incredibly rigorous in His time. Did Jesus dance? Probably. What does that tell us about dancing without leaving room for Jesus? It tells us that there is a way to dance that honors God.
In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul provides Christians with a helpful measuring stick: “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Unmarried men and women can dance without falling into sexual impurity. Leaving room for Jesus doesn’t need to be a literal measurement between dance partners. However, making sure we are saving space for Jesus in every area of our lives is a good rule of thumb for any Christian. Submit yourselves to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Then ask, “Does it honor God?” If yes, you can dance for Christ.
