The Rev. Norman Tanner, SJ taught church history at the seminary I attended. A tenured professor at Oxford University and an international expert on Europe in the Middle Ages, Fr. Tanner was a wealth of knowledge and insight. His lectures, though, were less than thrilling and it didn’t help that his voice held the same tone throughout. Imagine Gandalf reading an encyclopedia for 45 minutes straight without pausing for a breath or looking up at his audience.
That said, I did learn a lot from Fr. Tanner. His insights into history and specifically into the human person and the realities at play in societies throughout every generation were enlightening and helpful as my classmates and I prepared for the rich adventure of accompanying people on their journey of life. One lesson that particularly stands out was entitled The Spirituality of Leisure.
In this lesson, Fr. Tanner shared how play, or leisure, kept people human and kept civilization alive during the Middle Ages. During a period of history filled with violence, rampant disease and plague, religious corruption, and harsh socioeconomic disparity, entertainment and enjoyment helped to sustain a continent. It was the fiddle playing in the dining room, the races in the back yard, the recitation of poetry under the shade of a tree, the enjoyment of a sunset, the leisurely stroll through the neighborhood, and the prank played on a friend, that grounded people of all walks of life. More than just keeping people sane, these unorganized moments of freedom tapped into an essential part of what it means to be human.
In the 8th Chapter of the Book of Proverbs, we are introduced to Lady Wisdom. She is, as we read, of greater value than any amount of gold, power, control, or status. Lady Wisdom, instead, brings connection, purpose, meaning, relationship, depth, and joy. She is timeless. As the writer continues, Lady Wisdom was there as God created and formed the earth. As each new being is brought to life, she is there playing with it and enjoying the novelty of existence together with that new member of creation. Some theologians have speculated that perhaps this Lady Wisdom is Spirit, that she is the one who Jesus opens our eyes and hearts to after his resurrection. Either way, our relationship with her is a playful one. It’s a relationship that chooses the adventure of uncertainty over settling for easy answers. It’s a relationship that is okay stepping into the unorganized and unplanned in order to simply enjoy the present moment.
I believe that our experience of life today, especially those moments of leisure and play, are moments of communion with this same Lady Wisdom. For me, it’s playing fetch with my yellow lab Frisco in Patterson Park or walking with him along the harbor as the sun sets. How do you connect with Lady Wisdom? How do you engage in leisure or play in such a way that it grounds you, returns you to yourself, and kindles your humanity?