A Theology of Play
As a father, nothing brings a smile to my face, quite like watching my kids at play.
Our kitchen is the main artery of our home, with three doors—one leading to the sideyard, another to our backyard, and one to my office. It's a busy place, with people circulating in and out throughout the day. Working from home, I frequent the kitchen various times a day to grab food, reheat coffee, and check in with the family. With spring nearly upon us, it's becoming common for me to enter the kitchen and see my children playing outside.
Seeing them at play can stop me in my tracks. I stand at the door to watch and get lost in the moment, desperately trying to record the images in my mind. At forty-three years old, I know how fleeting this time is, and I want to cherish and honor it.
As I return to myself, I discover a smile has crept across my face. It's hard to describe the joy a father feels seeing his children at play, but I can tell you it's real, and I know that God feels it, too.
In Zechariah 8, God gives Zechariah the picture of what life will be like when He returns to Jerusalem.
Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.
— Zechariah 8: 3-5
God says that when He returns to Jerusalem, the streets will be full of children at play. The word full stands out to me in that passage. He could have told Zechariah that children would be playing in the street and left it at that, but He intentionally inserted the word full, revealing the Father's heart.
God's heart for his people is not just for some kids to be able to play—like a group of boys playing stickball or a couple of girls playing dolls—the streets are FULL of boys and girls at play. And I don't think I'm reading too much into it by saying I don't think they're all playing the same thing. From my experience with kids on playgrounds, there will be many different groups of kids playing a variety of things. Our God is a God of abundance, and this picture demonstrates both an abundance and a completeness of His creation with both sexes at play.
At this point in my life, I don't have a fully developed theology of play, but two things are clear.
First, one of the beautiful things about play is that it gives us a glimpse of the life God designed us to have—a time when we were naked and unashamed before God and each other in the garden. It was a time of safety, security, peace, freedom, and joy. We weren't scared or stressed or posturing before God or each other. We weren't hung up on image, status, or possessions. When we engage in play today, we return to that time for however brief.
A second meaningful aspect of play is celebration and praise. Play is the total embodiment of joy and thankfulness for the gifts God has given us—the gifts of life, freedom, laughter, joy, beauty, light, breath, our senses, friendship, family, and community. Play is the fullest expression of enjoyment, thankfulness, and celebration for the gift of life that I know.
I'm thankful for play. When I engage in it or even simply when I reflect upon it, I can feel myself being drawn to my creator. I believe that play uniquely reveals certain aspects of God's character and heart for His creation that we can't acquire from other areas of life. I pray that as a body, we can continue to uncover even deeper revelations embedded in play, but in the meantime, I can rest in the simple truth: I love to see my children play, and I know God does, too.
