Play 

“Skip and dance, Jump and prance!”¹¹ 

There’s lots of play in Charlotte’s Web—swinging in the barn and putting frogs in pockets. Wilbur, all cleaned up and shiny, throws himself into his radiant new identity by galloping, jumping, and doing backflips. Avery has fun crawling in the pig pen and “hamming” it up. 

According to author Randy Alcorn, the frolicking of animals displays the Creator’s character. God likes to have fun: “Consider what’s visible [of the attributes of God] in otters, dogs, and countless other animals: God’s playfulness . . . I for one have praised God for and been drawn to him by the playfulness, exuberance, love, and devotion in the dogs I’ve had over the years. They communicate the beauty of their Maker.”¹² 

R. Paul Stephens, a professor at Regent College in Vancouver, agrees. “There is a playfulness and wastefulness built into God’s creation: millions of seeds that will never germinate; leaves that turn into brilliant colors and die; and flowers that display their beauty even when no one is looking.”¹³ Jürgen Moltmann maintains, God was playing when He made the world: “The creation is God’s play, a play of his groundless and inscrutable wisdom. It is the realm in which God displays his glory.”¹⁴ 

Play offers evidence for eternity, that life is more than work. Stephens explains: “We were not created for the utilitarian purpose of getting work done on earth from God’s perspective. Rather, we were created as the fruit of God’s own love and for the delight of God. Similarly, the universe is the result of continuous covenant love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”¹⁵ Play is a sign of life and faith and fosters living. Even the Sabbath is given as a weekly reminder to rejoice in the art of playing.¹⁶ If we play, we are reflecting His image. 

Prayer: Lord, make me playful again by casting all my care on You.