games combine sincerity and mirth, suspense and relaxation. The player is wholly absorbed in his game and takes it seriously, yet at the same time he transcends himself and his game, for it is after all a game. So he is realizing his freedom without losing it. He steps outside of himself without selling himself. The symbol of the world as God’s free creation out of his good pleasure corresponds to the symbol of man as the child of God.4 If you don’t think God is playful, you haven’t examined his