Well, this is a fun one! Today on the Love Your Neighbor Challenge you get to play with a neighbor.

Enjoying a walk together or playing a game in the park are more than mindless ways to pass the time: play is actually a sign of peace, safety and strength in your community. This prophetic and playful Old Testament passage describes God’s ideal vision of community—

A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: “Old men and old women will come back to Jerusalem, sit on benches on the streets and spin tales, move around safely with their canes—a good city to grow old in. And boys and girls will fill the public parks, laughing and playing—a good city to grow up in.” Zechariah 8:4-5 The Message

Play is more than fun and games (although that’s great, too!). This is an opportunity to get to know your neighbor, talk and share between games, and learn what’s on their heart. These natural connections lead to spiritual conversations. Now get out there and play!

The purpose of play

God had more in mind than our pleasure and enjoyment when He envisioned a playful society. According to Helpguide.org, play can provide these 15 benefits:

11. Refreshes your mind and body
12. Encourages teamwork
13. Helps you see problems in new ways
14. Triggers creativity and innovation
15. Prevents burnout

Check your local newspaper, school website and park department website for fun things to do with your neighbor, and ask your friends for tips. There are low-cost and no-cost ideas on this list that are perfect for introverts and extroverts, athletes and artists.

The two most important things you can do to make your neighborhood safer
are to get to know your neighbors’ names and to get out of your house.
How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird, page 115

Neighbors who play together stay together!