Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Play

Under a clear plastic blotter on the top of my desk are two pictures.

In each, 12 or more men selected from among their peers stare back at the camera. They are entrusted with the discipline of the wayward, the management of a lot of money, the care of thousands of people, the direction for a trusted organization. Big decisions - often with grave consequences.

What do you see when you imagine the pics?

Suits and ties? Formal seating? Austere, even stern facial countenances? Hands at sides, feet placed carefully? The most important persons most impressive in bearing? Facial lines in vertical array? Neat, clean, proper, severe?

Got a picture in your mind?

On two occasions, now, I have been asked to be the one who takes their annual group picture.

On both occasions I have taken the group pics.....and then just before the shoot ended, each time I have said something like..."Common guys, ham it up...go for it...let's have a bit of fun with this."

And they have done well with that idea - fingers showing above heads, some pulled off balance by hugs, facial poses that compete with the masks of this Halloween season. Pushing and shoving playing...become very apparent. "We like each other" could easily be the title overhead.

And I have not been able to wait to see - these last poses, not the first ones.
The play, not the proper.

In fact I took the pictures again today and within moments of returning to the office, this year's play shot was positioned underneath my blotter...at an angle that lets me feast on it easily.

I've discovered that the play shots reveal more of the person.
The play shots provoke smiles, and faith and lightness.
The play shots are by far the keepers.
The play shots give me a certain sense of comfort and security in their leadership.
The play shots say to me: I love people
You can trust me to lead well...to be real and open and honest.

And I think of this on a bit wider dimension
and I wonder at the cycle of life.
All of us start out playing as the predominant activity of most of every day
...and at the end of the cycle of life we seem to shut it down...playing hardly at all.
We begin so happy and free, flexible and optimistic
and end up often sad and bound and cautious.

Could it be that if we learned to ham it up a bit more
...to shuck off the pressures just for an hour
we would become the person that most people feel is "the keeper"?

And I wonder suddenly,
could...would Jesus be in the picture if He were on the board?

Ah...I think the answer to that question might be caught in His words:
"Unless you become like children you will not even see the Kingdom (present activity) of God.

So may we learn again (today, perhaps) to play.

And may our days today be a whole lot more playful than our yesterdays.


Click, Click......

Selah...

Dave..
aka...Joedy Kabloedy
(my nickname as a kid...don't ask me to explain! - :))

No comments: