An Act of Kindness Goes Viral and Strikes a Blow Against Cyberbullies and Body Shaming

“Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.” ― George Carlin link

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/dance
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This weekend, a group of women in Los Angeles blessed my life and the life of a ridiculed man.

 Cassandra Fairbanks and Hope Leigh started what is now a worldwide phenomenon.  

It all started with viral body-shaming pics posted online by a cyber-bully with the caption "spotted this specimen trying to dance the other week. He stopped when he saw us laughing."  

https://twitter.com/hashtag/founddancingman?src=hash
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Cassandra and Hope, who are part of a group of women called GNI,decided to track this man down via Twitter and invite him to a dance party with all of them. He would be the only man! So, they started a search on Twitter.

…The hashtag #dancingman became the top trending topic on Twitter. In hours, their search was over.  
…His name is Sean and he lives in London. 

https://twitter.com/hashtag/founddancingman?src=hash
link

They set up a GoFundMe to fly him to the States which, at the time of writing this post is at $33,000+

The LA Coliseum offered to be the free venue for the *world's biggest dance.* Pharrell has offered to play and Moby, one of the most famous DJ's in the world, will spin the disks!

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I am convinced that these women are exhibiting the image of God in their actions. They have brought joy to this man and have struck a blow to creepy cyber-bullies everywhere. I intend to be dancing along at home when I learn of the date and time.

I hope this made you smile today.

Comments

An Act of Kindness Goes Viral and Strikes a Blow Against Cyberbullies and Body Shaming — 26 Comments

  1. Ok wait….I was totally first and I didn’t even brag about it! That ends now! Forget rewards in heaven, I was Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirstttt!!!!!

  2. This actually made me cry…people have no idea how hurtful they can be with careless words, actions, and even looks. Hopefully the damage/pain can be repaired by a thoughtful, caring person(s) who reflect goodness and sensitivity as these young women have done. May we all be aware of those hurting around us and do the same.

    Thanks so much for posting this, Dee!

  3. Victorious wrote:

    Hopefully the damage/pain can be repaired by a thoughtful, caring person(s) who reflect goodness and sensitivity as these young women have done. May we all be aware of those hurting around us and do the same.

    Amen! May they be an example of how to counter bullying. With strength and love.

  4. I saw the original post shaming him & was delighted at this fantastic reaction to #dancingman. I will also dance along on that day.

  5. Sometimes people can be terribly cruel behind the anonymity of social media. I’m so glad they found him. I know I have been incredibly touched and healed by people who are just kind and loving by nature, regardless of their religious affiliation. It’s good to remember that there are good people around us, if we can just be brave enough to see them.

  6. My town is often the source of what is twisted and nasty in our culture. So nice to see some classy LA ladies do something kind and beautiful for a change. The JOY of the heart is certainly something to be celebrated! Everybody dance!!!

  7. Wow!! Mom!!!! The next time I see you were going to polka? :-p

    That and the Jitterbug, remember no swallowing goldfish, the roaring twenties are over! 😉

  8. Very Nice! This is another example where the acts of kindness done by total strangers outshine any acts done by any “church”. Having personally been the victim of “fat-hazing” at several evangelical churches, I can relate to the pain he experienced. Glad to see his sorrow being turned into joy.

  9. Victorious wrote:

    This actually made me cry

    Me too. I’ve been the overweight guy laughed at for dancing. I am glad for the grace these women and everyone coming alongside them have shown to Sean. And yay to Sean for standing up and saying “That was me.” It’s a hard thing to do, and he shows a lot of character in responding to their efforts to reach out to him.

  10. This is great stuff! Imagine the world we could have if more folks performed acts of kindness. Or better yet, if more and more people caught themselves before letting mean and cruel things escape their lips.

  11. WOW! I am crying as I read this beautiful story. I am sure that most people have beened shamed over something their life! Some of the worst places that shame are churches. This film should be mandatory for all schools and church programs. These women show the love of God with their actions and attitudes. They act with respect and love towards a stranger. The Good Samaritan??? And to the dancing man-you rock!!!

  12. The discussion of trying to shame people into behavior (“Hey, your dancing looks goofy!” as I was told back in junior high) and Pharrel Williams’ song happy reminded me of the group of young Iranians posted their dance video to that song and then got arrested because the local government thought it was shameful. The President of Iran came to their aid when he tweeted “Everyone in our country should have the right to feel happy.”

  13. Shame, that was my life blood as a Christian, after I got over my initial excitement of being “saved” and that God loved me and gave Himself for me. It became clear actually God hates me, personally and from the foundation of the world, even in my mothers womb I was a God hating single cell in rebellion then I got worse. Of course it was said with the kind sickening Jesus loves you smile but it was very clear and twice on Sunday. I will agree shame is effective and the single most important dynamic in the evangelical corporation pragmatism in the second. Do what works right now no matter what the damage.

  14. brian wrote:

    Shame, that was my life blood as a Christian, after I got over my initial excitement of being “saved” and that God loved me and gave Himself for me.

    Brian, when people try to shame you, remember that Jesus was born into a shame/honor culture under extraordinarily shameful circumstances. He was constantly being shamed by the religious authorities until finally those religious authorities conspired with the secular authorities to put him to death under the most gruesome and shameful circumstances possible. He loved you and me enough to do that, and I try to remember that when religious leaders have tried to shame me for speaking the truth. Jesus is where our life is hidden safely.

  15. Oh the sad expression, and defeated slump of a cruelly belittled man…this made me cry so much. But a thousand likes to the many people who are turning his pain into a journey of victory and kindness. What a great witness of empathy over cruelty, and a show of the kindness in a hard world…. dance lovely man…and we will all be proud of you!

  16. brian wrote:

    It became clear actually God hates me, personally and from the foundation of the world, even in my mothers womb I was a God hating single cell in rebellion then I got worse. Of course it was said with the kind sickening Jesus loves you smile but it was very clear and twice on Sunday.

    Sounds like some really heavy-duty Worm Theology; sort of the ultimate “Vipers in Diapers” Total Depravity teaching. Never heard of it phrased as “even in my mothers womb I was a God hating single cell in rebellion”, but that describes it real well.

    And the fruit of that Can-You-Top-Calvin is the total inability to see God or Christ as anything else than The Cosmic Abusive Parent — PUNISH! PUNISH! PUNISH! PUNISH! PUNISH!