Staying Connected - Learning Through Kids' Games

In 2008 I was teaching a Vacation Bible School in one of the churches in the Chicago Suburbs.  I want to briefly share something that I learned on the 1st day that I saw kids playing games.

It was about friendship knots. We form a circle of 4 or 5 people. Hold the hand of the person not next to you but one after the next, i.e. of every other person. The fun part is then to twist in and out of the circle, up and down within the radii of hands, jump, and come out without letting go of anyone's hands - that way untangling is easy!

This is how at times, in life we hold on, and how in turn need to reach out to one another. The thing that I learned as they played the game was: Holding on, not letting go, and yet the goal is to sort out the tangles within. We did a great job many times again and again, and I thought if only we as adults could learn to untangle our messes with each other and our friends without letting go of our hands -without losing our connections with each other, by our love the world will know that we belong to Christ.  Biblically speaking..isn't this what we are called to? Relationships will improve our communities and the world because while being connected we choose to untangle the messes...sort out differences as they come. 

Please note this does not mean that we put up with the abuses in any relationship. In manipulative, abusive relationships, and where powerplay is present distancing is a safe and healthy thing to do. No one is to impose any forgiveness, reconnection, or reconciliation aspect on anyone. We need time to heal and be safe. 

The connection and untangling are meant for a non-abusive and mutually beneficial relationship where talking about differences in a healthy way is possible and there is an understanding that we can agree to disagree and mean no harm. 

Stay connected,

Kalpana Christian Sharma(Mrs.) Copyright © KC's Writings 2010