I've always had a love of Lego. Growing up my mother used to collect the vouchers on the back of Weetabix packets so I could get a Lego building as my main Christmas present. There were four kids in our council house, and money was tight sometimes, especially when the Factory my father worked in went on strike.
Over four years I had enough bricks to build a small street along with the road tiles, some cars and quite a few Lego people, it was brilliant to create little senarios in play of what each of these plastic people were doing through their day. Of course some had super powers and there was the odd asteroid or earthquake to mix things up a bit.
I guess the point is - it was harmless play, escapism, perhaps even imagining what it would be like to live in another place with different people around.
These days after a 35 year gap with Lego, I'm really enjoying introducing Reuben, my five yr old to the same childhood play. So I purchase little sets and he's had a couple of larger technical projects including a crane and a 18 wheeler truck - all bought in the name of progress. Reuben of course grateful, while allowing me and him to play together and me relive some of my teenage years.
Of course when I chat to Rebekah about it, and use the words, need, must have, very important, fine motor skill development - her eyes role - I guess I married someone who never got the bug.
The idea of escapism, obviously takes lots of shapes and forms. For some it's walking, the pursuit of travelling around the country to walk some fantastic scenery. For others it might be reading and diving into the story line in your imagination.
Sadly these days escapism has a darker side. Being a terrorist or gunman in a computer game, playing out sexual fantasy through engagement with porn. The very idea of finding a break from the mundane and giving your brain space to breathe, has in some situations become more destructive than beneficial.
In Colossians 3:2 it says to 'Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth'. We could all do with taking that advice, and put our trust of God into a more central place in our lives.
Until we've managed that, why not take a break, make an appointment with escapism, and perhaps find a way to weave God into that time as you do it.
Now, let's get Reuben and build a Lego Church !
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