Heraclitus reportedly said, “Eternity is a Child at play, moving pieces in a game. Kingship belongs to the Child!” (Refutation of All Heresies 9.9.4). The idea was thus ancient: the eternal creator could be a child, and consequently the awesome forces of death and life surging through this cosmos could be envisioned as mere child’s play—pieces moved for pleasure on a chessboard.
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