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The Restful Practice of Play
Play can restore our souls from the damage done by our accomplishment-driven, workaholic culture.
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Once, Jesus' disciples—who were beginning to realize that God's kingdom was not like earthly kingdoms—asked him to clarify: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? In other words, how do you move ahead? By way of reply, Jesus "called a little child, whom he placed among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes a humble place—becoming like this child—is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven'" (Matt. 18:2-4, NRSV). You minister to children, so you know all about play. And while our job of leading and serving kids is important and, in many ways, serious, we can sometimes lose some of our joy. Ironically, we ignore the example of the children right in front of us and get way too serious about everything. What does it mean to play, to be childlike (which is a bit different from being childish)? And what did Jesus mean when he said that the greatest in his kingdom were those who chose to be like little children? Did he want us to be playful? Does that mean we all ought to play more dodge ball? While we may have a different perspective on childhood than Jesus' contemporaries did, he continues to call us to trust him. And to realize we're not "all that." Leadership often tempts us to believe too firmly in our own importance. Play stretches our ability to be a fool, to engage in that which has no purpose other than simple joy. Play forces us to loosen our grip on our ambition for a while. It trains us in humility. We often want to avoid the risk involved with being silly. It's odd, since Jesus said we ought to be humble, that we seem to find it difficult to let go of our self-importance and image management—especially if we are leaders. One way to get more play time in our lives is to practice Sabbath-keeping—taking one day a week to rest from our work. Play can definitely be a part of that rest, and it is necessary to restore our souls from the damage done by our accomplishment-driven, workaholic culture. Do you know how to play? Often adults engage in sports, but it is with a sense of competitive intensity. Or, perhaps you are in a sports league, but you have to justify it as "relational evangelism." You're not just playing; you're building bridges to share the gospel. But what if "just playing" is what God invites us to do as part of our Sabbath practice? Many adults see exercise as drudgery rather than play. Or it becomes an obsession, a god they compulsively sacrifice large amounts of time and energy to. They don't play for fun; they exercise in an attempt to look younger, to stave off the inevitable aging process. Or it becomes a stimulant, another addiction. Rather than just enjoying a game of catch with the kids or a walk through the woods, we feel the need to engage in extreme sports. |        
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