Playing
together

Now we know that there are a myriad different ways that humans play together.

From infancy to adulthood they use play for learning personal and social skills,

both physical and mental.

Play is a safe space for learning about the world,

and through imaginary practice rehearsing interaction with the world

in that safe space without real world repercussions for our mistakes.

So we imagine futures we might have to deal with,

war games, strategy games, world building games,

and try to ensure that our mistakes are restricted to fictional worlds.

And through that life of play, people learn about each other.

We learn what someone is like from how they play,

not just the formal play, but through all the socialising of human interaction,

the dance that people do together during communal eating and drinking,

meals out

and other forms of shared entertainment.

People gather together to share in the enjoyment

of watching other people play,

from supporters in sports stadia

to patrons watching play acting in theatres and cinemas,

people gather

in groups of shared tastes

to watch musicals or thrillers,

horror movies or comedies,

in a sea of shared emotions.

But is the urge for play really the central purpose of our lives?

The Reading says

“We did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them to play a game.

We only created them in truth.”.

That doesn't mean that the world can't be playful.

The world is there to be enjoyed,

but more important than enjoyment is the truth,

the personal truth which enables that enjoyment of the playful aspect,

the simple awe and wonder, and fun to be had

in exploration and experience of the creation.

The suffering of this life comes from not knowing, not understanding the truth of creation,

and as the ayat concludes

“But most of them do not know”.

The truth lets us face hardship with equanimity,

rebuff insult with good humour,

and ease the grief of loss by offering hope for the future.

The truth sets us in a system of absolute justice,

where we can rest assured that ultimately everything is balanced.

And as for our Deen,

the Reading tells us

“Set your face towards the Way of Life of a pure believer,

God's natural Way

on which Hu began humankind.

There is no changing God's creation.

That is the right Way of Life.”,

but again making clear that

“most people do not know”.

God's creation is what it is

for us to experience and enjoy

by living the right way,

seeing the truth

and giving grateful praise to the Creator.