There will be dancing in the streets...

We have been back from our meetings for a couple of days now... but I wanted to share one last story with you. On Sunday last week I wandered the streets of Barcelona enjoying the blue skies, warm breeze, and sun-baked buildings. I wandered around the coin and stamp market... discovered an art market... and eventually ended up at the city's cathedral. There at noon I watched a timeless ritual play out in the middle of the square. The cathedral's bells echoed the midday hour off of the stone buildings as a small band begin to set up on the steps of the great church. A large crowd - although it was no larger than normal - was gathered in the courtyard watching and waiting. It was not long until the band began to play a music completely foreign to my ears. The high pitched music is native to Catalunya (the region where Barcelona is located). The crowd begin to move and I noticed a few older people starting to hold hands and dance. The ancient dance was nothing like you would probably picture. It wasn't full of flare or dramatic moves, but was simple in it's movement. Slowly other people joined in the dancing until a small circle began to form. Each person held hands slowly taking steps in and out and side to side so that in unison the circle moved and turned to the beat of the music. The dancing looked a lot like the Celtic dancing in Brittany, France, but had a unique rhythm to it. I stood there with a few other winter tourists watching the community come together in a moment of solidarity and celebration of their heritage. It was not put on for the tourists, but rather was done because it has always been done. The old and the young went on from dance to dance as other circles were formed around the courtyard. When someone joined in they simply took off their coat and tossed them into the every growing pile of belongings in the middle of the circle. I felt blessed to be a witness to this act of community... and I was reminded that the people of Barcelona have a proud heritage and language... and that despite being a minority people they continue to hold on to their culture.