16 July 2024

Jesus was quite innovative to use the image of play to describe life in the Kingdom. ‘We piped to you and you did not dance!’ he said. ‘We wailed and you would not mourn!’ People didn’t respond to the invitation to play on the street. ‘We’re not playing!’ they said.

As children of God, it’s not inappropriate to think about our life together in terms of children playing a street game. The most popular children’s toy is lego which is Danish for ‘play well’. But the simplest of all toys is the ordinary ball which encourages people to play together whether it be tennis at Wimbledon or football in Germany!

There are three important dimensions to the image which Jesus uses. Firstly, play is a communal activity. There’s always room for everyone in the game. Everyone has a part to play. Everyone is needed to play effectively.

Secondly, it’s an imaginative activity. How many street games were simply made up in our childhood? And so it is in the Kingdom. We use our imagination to share and to care, to make peace, to celebrate our life together!

Thirdly, it’s an enjoyable activity. Isn’t that why we play games? We enjoy it! Isn’t joy at the heart of the gospel. ‘What is man’s chief end?’ asks the Shorter Catechism. ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.’ So hands out. Let’s do potatoes – and play together with imagination and joy!

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