By Brian Edgar
152 pages, Cascade Books
ISBN: 978-1532607615
Goodreads Rating: 3.81
For many, the idea of spirituality and following Christ is often associated with both joy and hardship. Sure, we remember the happy moments, but sometimes it’s hard to argue that they are few and far between, and we tend to remember the hard days of carrying our cross – the long months (or years) of unanswered prayers, the unrewarding periods of toiling in the marketplace, the loss and grief for loved ones, etc. Make no mistake, we all find our joy in Christ, but for some, it is at times more elusive than for others.
Other times we remember that while Jesus loves and cares for us, we are also reminded that our God demands holiness, uncompromising and is all-powerful.
So, the idea of we should have a playful attitude towards God and to our surrounding world may be surprising to some (well, to this reader, it was). In this book by Brian Edgar, he proposes that while in the past, Christians usually focus more on the serious responsibilities of service, sacrifice, and commitment. But the prophets say that the future kingdom is full of people laughing and playing, which has implications for Christians who are called to live out the future kingdom in the present. He argues that play here is not trivial, frivolous or not taking God or service to Him seriously, but a playful way of living that does justice to the seriousness of life.
A core passage that was repeated in this book is how Jesus told people to learn from children. Indeed, a playful attitude is an important part of all significant relationships. The author addresses areas like faith, worship, spirituality, theology and love where a playful attitude can make a difference. It describes how to create a “play ethic” to match the “work ethic” and discusses play as a virtue, Aquinas’s warning against the sin of not playing enough, and Bonhoeffer’s claim that in a world of pain it is only the Christian who can truly play.
This short book is an easy read for the casual reader and is suitable for all ages.
📖 This book is available to be borrowed from the PJEFC Library.
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