This, as it always does this time of year, gets me thinking about the Light of Christ. Who is it? What is it? And what I came to mind was this (and maybe this is not fair, but stay with me...): I thought about the world’s religious leaders; those whom most of us know -- at least through the media. There is, of course, the Pope, the Dalai Lama, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and maybe for some of us the head of the American Evangelical Association. All of them are known to a great part of the world.
But, here's my question: In which of these people do I see the Light of Christ?
I will have to confess that I see it in the Dalai Lama and not so much in the others. Why? Because I sense wisdom, humility, humor, compassion, and, yes, playfulness, in him. To me, there is a link between playfulness and godliness; between playfulness and even holiness.
It is in being playful that we can try to get away from our arrogance and self-centeredness. Being playful (especially when discussing theology) is being open to the “other;” to seeking truth, to seeing the Christ in other people, and to new possibilities.
I don’t see seriousness as one of the fruits of the Spirit; instead, it seems to breed arrogance and claiming only we have the truth. Playfulness is really about dancing with the Spirit of God; dancing with ideas, new life and personal transformation. But above all playfulness is about love – the grand movement of love in and out of our lives.
At the same time, playfulness is ego-shedding and when we can shed some of our ego, our self-centeredness (even a little bit!) there become more room for God in us. You know, I bet Jesus was quite playful in his relationships.
So, come on, let’s play!
For an example of what I am talking about see the Dalai Lama at a press conference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osVowEWEyAs
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