Thin Places Part 7
August 2, 2025
Thin Places Part 7
We live only one block from a neighborhood park, where children always play. I took my kids to this park and remember the different worlds they entered while freely playing on the monkey bars, swings, and sliding boards.
I pass the same park daily and am delighted to see the kids running and playing there. It causes me to remember not only my children’s time there but also the times when I, too, played endlessly. My playtimes were full of boundless joy because, unconstrained, I was totally myself. I lost all track of time, and if not for being made to come in, I could have still been in my bliss seemingly forever. These were the soul child years.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus (around 500 BCE) held that “Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play.” This quote conveys the idea that, similarly to children, when we are genuinely ourselves, totally present, curious, intentional, and immersed in the process of creating, we live in our truest nature. Joy is a by-product of this state of being.
According to Heraclitus's writings, children fully engaged in play embody an absolute presence. He argues that adults often lose this ability when they leave childhood. Yes, children are focused on the play process; they are in touch with the cycle that flows throughout all creation— building, tearing down, and rebuilding. This motif matches our essential nature. In play, we imitate the underlying patterns of creation itself.
Children do not edit and judge during play because no self-consciousness prevents them from being totally who they are. Haven’t you been in this zone? We lose all sense of time and place when we are so fascinated, so interested, so intrigued, and absorbed in our creation process. When we consciously reconstruct these times in adulthood, they serve as placeholders for the divine to join us. The veils lift; heaven meets earth.
The phenomenon of thin places has evolved from referring to specific geographical locations, to states of consciousness that bring us the same feelings experienced in a geographical thin place. Therefore, engaging in art, music, nature, dance, and even simple, nonsensical play can connect us to our souls and the Divine. This type of thin place is found in our souls' geography rather than the geophysical world.
Spiritual practice: Play today.
Self-inquiry: What are the reasons why you would not play? If you do play, what do you learn about you?
Dear God,
As I play, I pray to be fully present and to feel your presence. Amen
