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The Spiritual Practice of Play
by Keri Wyatt Kent
One of
my favorite spiritual practices is one you don’t hear
much about: the practice of play. But it seems an
appropriate topic to consider during summer.
Play is
an important part of what I call Sabbath Simplicity—a
sanely paced, God-focused lifestyle. To live in Sabbath
Simplicity means we have slowly crafted a life-giving
way of life—and it may look different in your life than
it does in mine.
But
this lifestyle includes spiritual practices that create
some space for God. So along with prayer and meditating
on God’s word, I include other spiritual disciplines
like service, and play. I don’t serve all the time, I
don’t play all the time. It is the rhythm between these
things that creates a cadence I can dance to.
Play
helps us fight the temptation of sins Jesus prohibited
in his teaching—things like worry, fear, lack of joy.
You’ve perhaps not thought of play as a spiritual
discipline, but then again, perhaps you didn’t consider
worry a sin, even though the command most often repeated
in the Bible is “do not be afraid.”
The
Bible tells us that one day, Jesus’ disciples came to
him and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven?”
In
response, 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. And whoever welcomes one such
child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18: 1-5).
Jesus
said we are to be like little children. What does that
mean? Is Jesus advocating humility? Or playfulness?
Isn’t there a certain humility in playfulness?
Little
children are dependent, needy, immature, sometimes
selfish. They are also, at times, carefree, trusting,
humble. There is a difference between childish and
childlike.
Brennan
Manning, in his book The Importance of Being Foolish,
helps us understand the cultural context of Jesus’
remark about being childlike.
“There
is no mistaking that one must learn to resemble a child
in order to enter the kingdom,” he writes. “But to grasp
the full force of the phrase ‘like little children,’ we
must realize that the Jewish attitude toward children in
the time of Christ differed drastically from the one
prevalent today. We have a tendency to idealize
childhood, to see it as the happy age of innocence,
insouciance, and simple faith. In the Jewish community
of New Testament times, the child was considered of no
importance, meriting no attention or favor. The child
was regarded with scorn.”
How can
we cultivate humility but still be people who exhibit
the “joy of the Lord?”
I
believe the answer lies in our ability to play. Play
forces us to loosen our grip on our ambitions, and our
worries. It is a call to trust.
Summer
lends itself to play—although few of us have the luxury
of doing nothing but play. And like a child on endless
summer vacation, we may find ourselves ready to complain
of boredom if we have only play and no work.
I
believe God calls us to live our lives in a rhythm of
work and rest. We do our work heartily, as if we were
doing it for him, but then we enjoy the rest that comes
in relationship with him. (see Matthew 11:28-30)
Rest is
not just collapsing. I believe many of us work so much
because we don’t see the value of play. We don’t know
how to play, or bring such an intensity to it that it is
not joyful, relaxing or replenishing. If you are taking
a vacation this summer, will you come home refreshed? Or
more stressed?
Play is
part of my Sabbath practice. In winter, that might mean
a walk in the snow, or playing Scrabble in front of the
fire. In summer, play shifts to outdoor activities that
bring me joy while building relationships.
My
husband and I play together by racing our small
two-person sailboat. Racing is exhilarating, and
requires strength and stamina. We have a blast doing it,
even as we are exerting ourselves. Our boat is the
oldest one on the lake, we have not spent the money to
replace it. At this season of our lives, the boat is
more recreational than competitive, but we enjoy it. We
escape the cell phones, the computer, the bills and
stresses of daily life. Together we focus on a goal, but
still just have fun.
My kids
and I play together in various ways—going for bike
rides, or going on adventures. The other day we went to
Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry to see some
special exhibits. Other times, simple pleasures like
walking the dog together or playing a board game provide
time to just connect.
To play
alone, I go to my garden, where I putter and plant, and
notice the amazing creativity of God in everything from
bugs to basil.
As I
write this, I am facing some major deadlines, and
getting ready to go on a vacation. The purpose of
vacation is to play for several days—but trying to get
everything done is stressing me. I am wondering whether
the work involved in preparing for a vacation is even
worth it. But God calls us not just to serve, but to
rest. To play.
Play is
an essential component of Sabbath Simplicity. If you’re
not sure how this would look in your life, ask yourself
this question: what do I like to do for fun? What’s
rejuvenating and enjoyable? What activity, when I do it,
causes me to forget about my stress and lose track of
time?
If you
don’t know the answers to those questions, well, that’s
something to pay attention to, because it may give you
some clarity about where you are on your journey.
Take
some time to play this summer, and to see it not as a
mindless escape or guilty pleasure, but as a spiritual
practice that will help you grow in joy.
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