Dear Friends

The winter can seem long and deep, so it’s not surprising that we get involved in things which make us come together and have a laugh! This is the season for Pantomimes. I have a friend Maggie who loves the pantomime and she lets me know that she’s thinking about it, by saying, “Oh no you won’t” and of course I’m supposed to complete the couplet to play the game! In this way the excitement builds up and a visit to the theatre needs to be arranged.

Through the pantomime characters we can see glimpses or traits of ourselves and other people all built into the fun. It’s important to be able to laugh at what it is to be human and not take ourselves too seriously. I think it is wonderful that local people take the time and energy to put on a pantomime for us here in the village.

There’s an important strand in Christianity which takes seriously the ideas of humour, fooling, clowning and play as an important part of our spirituality. One of the ways of thinking about Jesus is as a jester. The jester turns things on their head, subverting the status quo in a prophetic way, allowing us to see things in a new light. Humour can be so good at making everyone feel included and part of what is going on. It’s a great leveler. St Paul claimed that he was a fool for the sake of Jesus Christ. I know some of you have seen the Revd Roly Bain who goes round the country today clowning for Christ as a way of presenting the good news about Jesus. Sometimes we are not in the mood for fun, but done in a sensitive way it can be helpful to draw us through sadness or hurt.

I’m just about to reconnect with some work called Godly Play, which I have been involved with in the past. It is a Montessori way of offering some of the riches of the Christian faith to children, but which has implications for us all. None of us are ever too old to play. Playfulness is part of God which is why it is part of how the world is and who we are. As adults we can easily loose sight of this part of ourselves, through the weight of our responsibilities. Let us rediscover our playfulness and our connectedness to God and all that is, at a deep level.

He folded and blessed them and gave each one their say

And we saw Christ’s laughing face all that day.

Blessed were the children who answered his call.

And blessed is the child’s heart alive in us all.

(The Laughter of Christ - Peter Byrne CSSR)

Yours in Christ,

Ruth

PS: This is a good quick outline read for anyone interested in this idea: Wanda Nash, Come Let us play!, playfulness and prayer. London, Darton, Longman and Todd 1999.