Spiritual Conversations With ChildrenSampl

Listening to God as Play  

In Mark 8:22-26 we catch a glimpse of a playful Jesus. When a blind man asks for healing, Jesus leads him out of the village—where presumably there were fewer spectators—and then as John records it, proceeds to make mud with his own spit ( John 9:6). 

There is something childlike and playful about Jesus healing a blind man with mud made from his own spit. Perhaps Jesus tapped into his own childhood self for this miracle. But things get even more playful when at first it seems the mud does not completely resolve the problem. The man sees something “like trees” walking. 

The lack of efficiency found in two tries and the willingness to test the process are elements found in play. Lightness, freedom, vulnerability, and healing flow from play. Jesus seems to have known that and, like his Father, has an infinite capacity for play. 

Play is the mother tongue of children. Adults communicate through verbalization, but children who are new to words, communicate through play and movement. Play is an essential part of having spiritual conversations with children. It is the primary communication medium. During play, children use toys or objects to express, engage, and work out their inner life. They also reflect on and make meaning of their experiences, and they resolve the questions that have been stirred up by those experiences. Play allows a child a measure of control in a life governed by adults and can help children feel more secure and safe. 

Play is more of a process and less of an outcome, which in itself is a freedom and a characteristic of spiritual conversations. We can be sure that since play is the primary mode of communication for children, God speaks the language of play.

Today when you play with your children, notice God’s invitation to you.