Tyler Johnson, MDiv
Tyler is a pastor and a former NASA engineer. He loves to explore truth through God’s word and God’s works. He lives in Iowa with his wife and four children and spends what little free-time he has pondering the mysteries of light
My initial plan for this week’s post was to (attempt to) pontificate wisely about what it might look like to reflect well on 2020 and its implications for a new year. I was developing examples and considering biblical stories to work with and even had a reference to Jurassic Park in mind. But that is all out now. Why? Because this week I went sledding with my family. And that gave me a new perspective on the new year.
If there was one word that defined last year, I would go with “chaos.” But if I were to give a word to many people’s reaction to the chaos I would go with the word “fight”. The year 2020 was marked by all kinds of fighting. The political arena was filled with fighting, even to the point where some are still contesting the results of November’s election. There were all kinds of fights around the topic of racial justice. Who knew this year’s holiday conversations would have steer clear of religion, politics and the police? Even our approach to the virus has been in terms of a war, a battle, a fight. It is an enemy to be defeated.
Now I’m not against all of these fights. But I am tired of everything being framed in terms of a battle. I am weary of the pervasive rhetoric of war. And I am uncomfortable with how quickly we jump to this language and frame every challenge or disruption as an enemy. I think we lose something when we do this.
At the sledding hill the other day, I played. I laid down on a sled and rushed down the snowy hill head first, on my belly. And then I walked up the hill and did it again. Sometimes one of my sons would hop on my back and we’d take the ride together. We played. And so did everyone else who was at the hill that day. And that is the remarkable thing.
The mix of people sledding was about as diverse as our community gets. But what I loved most was the age differences represented. Toddlers, young kids, adults, grandparents, they were all represented. And they were all playing and having fun. There were even teenagers out there, playing just like everyone else.
I read this week that the virus is a great equalizer in that it doesn’t discriminate who it affects. I’m starting to think that playing is also a great equalizer, but a positive one. Play brings out the child in all of us. It spurs creativity and fosters joy. Play unites us.
Unfortunately, most of our play has become competition, which is like fighting with more rules. Play doesn’t have winners and losers, just players. The end result isn’t a medal or a trophy, just joy. There are no accolades that arise in play. You won’t be set apart as MVP. But you will have fun.
So as we look toward a new year, I encourage you to find time to play. Play with your family, or with those in your COVID bubble. Play games that don’t result in winners and losers (Apples to Apples, perhaps). Make up your own games. When pandemic restrictions have eased go outside play a pick-up game of basketball, or soccer, or ultimate Frisbee. Invite new people to play with you, but don’t keep score. Just play.
We now move out of a year of chaos and fighting and into a year where we will likely find more opportunity for social interaction. As we do, I hope that our interactions will be less incarnations of social media, and more incarnations of joy through play. I wonder just how much healing could come simply through choosing to play, rather than fight.