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Make Believe Makes Believers

July 19, 2021 by S. D. Smith 10 Comments

My son plays happily. He flits easily between two worlds: the world that is and the world he imagines. His conversation assumes the extraordinary. His play is an adventure in make believe.

How like faith.

Perhaps nothing is more like faith than play. This “admission” would no doubt make Christians raised in an era of apologetic zeal begin to sweat. It may also delight anti-theist scolds, those champions of unhappiness and pretense.

But it is no great surrender to say faith is like play. If in a young boy’s imaginative play he sees himself brave and trustworthy in the good fight, then we are glad if he grows into a man who is like that in “the real world.” Likewise, if a little girl tenderly cares for a baby doll, devoting herself to its care while at play, then grows up to become a loving, tender mother, we are happy. And we should be. I call that good.

So child’s play is braided into the lifelong cords of faith. Part of life is anticipating, by faith, the right-side-up world. And it is deadly difficult when it feels like the ceiling’s coming down all around us.

Part of the Christian life, perhaps the heart of it, is praying “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This is holy imagination at work. This is a life of imaginative anticipation. Faith is play. It is playing at the most deeply true articles of the human charter.

Imagination is an essential capacity of faith.

Does our conversation assume the extraordinary? If it doesn’t, can we be what we claim to be?

Jesus told us that children show us the way to the Kingdom. I believe he meant to commend both their lack of personal standing (they cannot cling to accomplishment as merit) and their capacity for deep dependence.

Children are suited for the Kingdom in their imaginative play. “Make believe” is one of the clearest avenues along the way to making us believers.

So, let them play. And join them.


Featured image created by jcomp
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S. D. Smith
S. D. Smith
S. D. Smith is the award-losing author of The Green Ember Series. Sam loves chocolate chip cookies, soccer, and knights who kill dragons.
S. D. Smith
Latest posts by S. D. Smith (see all)
  • Make Believe Makes Believers - July 19, 2021
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  • It Is What It Is, But It Is Not What It Shall Be - March 30, 2020

Filed Under: Featured Article, Fostering Imagination, Valuing Imagination

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Comments

  1. Stacy Grubb says

    October 15, 2012 at 8:21 am

    Excellent!

    Reply
  2. Don Smith says

    October 15, 2012 at 8:24 am

    Starly Wilson.

    Reply
  3. Lori M. says

    October 15, 2012 at 9:58 am

    Beautiful and true!

    Reply
  4. S.D. Smith says

    October 15, 2012 at 6:40 pm

    Thanks!

    Reply
  5. James Witmer says

    October 16, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    If in a young boy’s imaginative play he sees himself brave and trustworthy in the good fight, then we are glad if he grows into a man who is like that in “the real world.”

    Sam, I love the paralell between the boy’s play world and real world and our “real” world that is really a shadowland of the eternal world to come. This article is terrific.

    Reply
  6. Loren Warnemuende says

    October 16, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    I know my children’s play often helps me see the kingdom more clearly. I never thought of it as like faith; great thought!

    Reply
  7. WifeMotherGardener says

    October 17, 2012 at 3:01 pm

    Beautiful stuff, Sam!

    Reply
  8. Kayti Phillips says

    July 23, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    This is so true! Love the beauty and meaning behind this!

    Reply
  9. bethany j. melton says

    July 30, 2021 at 8:53 am

    Mmm, yes and amen.

    Reply
  10. Sharon Monzingo says

    August 20, 2021 at 12:44 pm

    This article is so beautiful and TRUE, I could weep! Thank you!

    Reply

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