Life 101 On A Playground

I was watching the children play on the playground while I waited for the light.
It happens to be a long traffic light in a school zone so it affords me a lingering glance.
The children were carefree, enjoying the fall day, being chased by imaginary enemies.
They tested their climbing prowess and their upper arm strength on the monkey bars.

Wistful for a moment for that time again.
Time to go to the neighborhood library, which is down the road.
Time to go to that “castle park” as it was rightfully named.
My children called it that since it seemed to have towers and turrets and a drawbridge.

Time.
Wistful for something in me as well.
The little girl is still there hiding behind a few more wrinkles around my eyes.
The heart remembers, as it should, and is content in the memory.

If you watch children at play you can see a metaphor for life.
The leaders naturally come to the surface.
The followers linger back just a bit, not missing a word of the dialogue around them.
The loners will be off by themselves, enjoying their own company, watching from afar.

Disagreements have to be sorted out.
Not everyone can have their own way.
Compromise is learned.
Sharing and taking turns is practiced.

Life 101 on the playground.
Falls and skinned knees happen.
Tripping or hitting your head is almost expected.
Tears are inevitable.

Before the light turned green, I saw some children locked in an imaginary dungeon.
Of course, I was merely connecting the dots in my own mind as to the nature of their play.
One brave knight came and unlocked the metal bars that didn’t exist.
The damsels that were being held prisoners ran for their life to safety.

I smiled as the enemy suddenly realized his prisoners were set free.
The incredulous look.
The glance over his shoulder to see them run away to safety.
The knight high atop his tower, victorious.

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet Him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained, hand and foot but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on His feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus at a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” For Jesus has said to him, “Come out of this man you evil spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
(Mark 5:1-10)

The demon-possessed man was being held prisoner.
Only Jesus could set him free from what was binding him.
Jesus released the man by demanding that the evil spirits leave him.
Since everything is under Jesus’ authority, the spirits had no choice but to leave.

Since the Gerasenes was a pagan region, the people kept pigs, which are unclean to Jews.
Upon leaving the man, the demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter a herd of pigs.
Jesus granted them permission and about two thousand pigs rushed off a steep bank.
They fell into the lake and were drowned.

What happened to the pigs would have eventually happened to the man.
The demons want to destroy the image of God in a person and want to kill their host.
The owners of the pigs were furious at the loss of their income.
More than being angry, they were afraid and they begged Jesus to leave their region.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons siting there, dressed and in his right mind and they were afraid. (Mark 5:15)

The man wanted to go with Jesus but Jesus did not let him.

“Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)

Jesus is the valiant knight who frees the captives.
The enemy, thinking he has won, has an incredulous look.
He sees the ones that he once held prisoner, free, the chains removed, the prison door ajar.
He has no power over them any more.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)

Praise God for the victory we have in Christ.
Your chains are gone.
The prison door is wide open.
Your Knight waits for you as He stands in victory.