The real object of play is to discover newness in our lives. In play, we open ourselves to a powerful creative energy. When we dare to dabble, unique things can happen. The unexpected. The unpredictable. Play propels us into work with renewed strength and ingenuity.

Can serious people learn to play? I certainly hope so. It would be sad to think that only a few silly people are allowed access to this rarely discussed gift of the Spirit. I have heard it said that the angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. This is the essence of play. Through play comes the freedom to allow the stiff wind of the Holy Spirit to blow through our too-often stuffy and serious lives, tugging at our clothes and messing up our hair.

The God who created a perfectly synchronized universe also took time to fashion and paint each bird, to design each cloud formation, and to give us the gift of laughter. These are not the actions of an all-work-and-no-play God. The God of detail and delight, the God of mountain and mud puddle can expect nothing less of us, for we are creations of God’s own hand.