Video Games

40 days without video games doesn’t sound like very much fun. I went about three weeks without playing video games and I was pretty miserable. There’s something soothing and relaxing about a marathon gaming session. Giving up video games today would also be a lot harder than it was a few years ago. Today giving up video games not only means abandoning the Xbox, PS3 and Wii, but it also means abandoning the phone. While I didn’t fire up my Xbox for a few weeks, every day I was playing games on my phone. Whenever I have a few minutes to kill I play some Bejeweled, Angry Birds or Ticket to Ride. If we gave up video games for Lent, what would we do in the bathroom?

Netflix

Giving up Netlfix might be more difficult than giving up food. Every day Alycia and I watch something on Netflix, whether that’s 30 Rock, Dirty Jobs or Man vs. Food. Beyond those three shows, Netflix also offers the opportunity to watch so many nerdy shows. Last week I convinced a friend to watch Battlestar Galactica and, because of Netflix, he’s already made his way through the first two seasons. That kind of back-to-back viewing couldn’t take place, though, if Netflix was sacrificed for Lent.

Social Media

For the past couple years it has been rather en vogue to give up social media for Lent. I’m all for people giving up social media for Lent if they feel like removing them will add value to their lives. My feelings, though, about giving up social media for Lent are best summed up in this tweet I saw:

Giving up social media for Lent? No, I’m not giving up my friends for Lent.

I feel like I could give up video games and Netflix for 40 days; it would be difficult but I might gain more than I’d lose. I feel like I could also give up social media for 40 days but I would lose more than I would gain. My relationships, which are bolstered by social media, would suffer and it wouldn’t be possible to spend time with everyone I wanted to face-to-face.

Lent is a great season to prepare for Easter. Giving something up for Lent is also a great practice if the intentions are good. If we’re giving up candy and soda to better focus on Christ and his work in our lives, that’s great. But if we’re giving up candy and soda to lose weight, then we probably need to refocus our intentions.

What, if anything, are you giving up for lent?

A month ago I posted about the upcoming sex series for our youth group. For years February, with its amorous nature and association with Valentine’s Day, has been ground zero for youth group sex talks. While we’ve done it at different times in the past, this year our group is tackling the topic of sex this month.

We had our first discussion about sex this past Tuesday. I shared a short message about God’s intention and design that sex is for marriage. (Last week, in preparation for this week, I shared about God’s intention and design for marriage). After sharing the message we took questions from the students via anonymous text message.

I thought about sharing some of the questions. Even though they were anonymous, I don’t want to betray any of our students’ trust.

They had a lot of great questions, though. They asked about how to create good boundaries and how to stand up to pressure and ridicule. They also asked about finding forgiveness and making better choices.

The quality of the questions surprised me as did how energized I was by answering them. I love our students and want to see them make wise, godly choices when it comes to sex. Not because sexual sin is any worse than other sin, but because it can lead to life-altering consequences.

For any of us who have influence over young people, we need to make sure that we’re communicating God’s intention, vision and design for sex and marriage. The messages we receive from our world about sex and marriage diminish them, almost to the point that they’re unrecognizable. God has called us to elevate our vision for sex and marriage back to his original intention, not just for ourselves but also for our children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and kids in the neighborhood.

From the questions our students asked, I know they’re looking for direction and guidance. If they don’t hear God’s intention for sex then they’re going to turn someplace else. And it’d be best if they turned to someone communicating God’s truth instead of Katy Perry.

How can you share God’s intention and vision for sex?

I love my job.

I always feel a little guilty when sharing frustrations about my job. I’ve wanted to be a pastor since I was 15 and God has blessed me with a great position at a wonderful church. I also fully realize that so many people do for free what I get paid to do.

That being said, I’m a little down and it has a lot to do with my job.

I’m in the midst of a really busy season at work and it’s starting to take a toll. I really took notice of it when Alycia, my wife, commented that I had seemed a little down lately. I don’t like being down because it makes me feel like Eeyore and no one likes being around Eeyore.

When I look at my life I realize that I don’t have a lot to be down about.

I have a great job.

I have an amazing wife.

I have awesome friends.

I have a roof over my head.

I have plenty of food and clean water.

In spite of all those blessings, though, the busyness of this current season is affecting me, as if I lost my tail in the 100-Acre Wood.

Even if we don’t have the world’s worst problems, it’s encouraging to know God still cares. I’m not starving or stricken with cancer, but God still cares about my problems. You may not be dying of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, but God still cares about your problems.

If we can learn anything from books like Psalms and Lamentations, it’s that God wants us to cry out to him. He wants to hear our hearts cry, whether that’s a cry of anguish or a cry of joy. Sometimes we feel like our problems are too insignificant to bring to God. The truth is someone else will always be worse off than we are, so we shouldn’t let that feeling of insignificance keep us from bringing our problems to God.

Acknowledging that other people are worse off than we are helps us maintain a proper perspective on our problems. Our problems still impact us, no matter how large or small, and God wants us to bring them before him.

However, if you’re problem is that you can’t sleep because you’re too excited for Mass Effect 3, bring it before God. He’ll probably just tell you to be patient or to give the $60 you’d spend on the game to charity.

What keeps you from bringing your problems before God?

I’ve been reading through Exodus. Like Genesis, Exodus starts with a bang and quickly devolves into a lot of laws, regulations and instructions on how to build the tabernacle and all its accessories. When God gives the instructions for how to build the tabernacle, he taps Bezalel as the one to carry out the work. God says that he has filled Bezalel with his Spirit as well as the skills necessary to build the tabernacle and all its accessories.

Had I been with the Israelites I know for a fact that God would have still chosen Bezalel over me. I can’t build anything and feel accomplished when I hang a picture without making three of four extra holes. Nerds aren’t necessarily handy but it’s possible that their gifts could make an impact for God’s kingdom.

Fan Fiction

Do you enjoy reading the Bible but wish there were more intricate stories about minor characters? I know that the Bible speaks against adding to itself but some faith-filled fan fiction wouldn’t be that bad. Like all other fan fiction, there would be the understanding that it’s non-canonical and not intended to provide the foundation for one’s life. I definitely would be opposed to fanfic about Jesus but, if you have the nerdy skills, why not explore the life of someone like Bezalel? Sure we know that God used him to construct the tabernacle, but what about the rest of his life? What about his wife and kids? What about that time he had to hunt down leviathan in order to find the mystical Hammer of Nimrod?

Video Games

I was in a small group once and someone asked if their spiritual discipline of choice could be playing video games. He suggested that since he didn’t really need to focus on the game that he could use that as his time to commune with God. I would have laughed at him if he hadn’t asked the question so seriously. I don’t think video games are good way to commune with God but they definitely can advance his kingdom. Four Xboxes, 16 controllers and one big game of Halo is a great way to build community. But imagine if a Christian became a phenom, like Tim Tebow or Jeremy Lin, in the competitive gaming world. Every enemy fragged could be fragged for God. Every Zerg invasion turned back would be turned back for God.

Obsessive

I’ve written about this before but nerds really should be the best Christians. When we hitch our cart to a nerdclination we don’t just go on a first date, we buy it flowers, leave it 30 messages and start talking about our grandchildren. Nerds are obsessive; it’s part of our nature. I spent all of the money I got between 10-13 on Star Trek and Star Wars customizable card game cards. I still have both of my decks for those games and I think I’m the only person who remembers how to play. If we simply turned that obsessive nature from minor Star Wars characters to our faith, there’s no telling the impact we could have on the world. We could spur a revival unlike anything that’s ever been seen or become modern-day Pharisees and tell people that they don’t really like Jesus because they didn’t start watching until season 3.

Thankfully God promises to give his followers more useful spiritual gifts than the ones above. We may not have the skills of Bezalel but God has gifted each one of us. He wants us to use those gifts in whatever way we can to bring him glory and spread his kingdom.

How have you been blessed by using the gifts God has given you?

Yesterday at our church I did a seminar for parents on social media. In less than a decade social media, as well as high speed Internet access, have completely transformed the world in which we live. Working with students I have been able to see the effect of social media on children and families.

In the seminar I hoped to inform parents of some of the dangers that exist in social media and the Internet. I also wanted to offer them some practical tips to defend themselves and their families from those dangers.

Since the Internet is a dangerous place for all of us, I thought I’d share a few of those practical tips below.

Boundaries

One of the best ways to protect against the dangers of the Internet and social media is to create some boundaries. For parents this might mean telling a child that they’re not allowed to have a computer in their rooms or they can’t get a Facebook until they’re 14-years-old. Boundaries aren’t just good for children, though, they’re good for all of us. The lure of the Internet and social media isn’t just for kids. We may not need boundaries to keep us from getting abducted by a sexual predator. But it wouldn’t hurt to have boundaries that keep us from ignoring our loved ones because we can’t break away from our phones, laptops and iPads.

Internet Filtering

Another great way to protect children from the dangers of the Internet is through filtering. It’s no secret that the Internet is full of objectionable material. While reflecting on the Star Wars porn, I shared some of my thoughts on what porn is doing to our society. Even if they’re not looking for it, kids today can come across sexually explicit material. Internet filtering keeps that content out of the home and away from young eyes. Again, this isn’t just a problem for children. There are plenty of adults who come across sexually explicit material because they were looking for it. Internet filtering is a great way to protect ourselves. If you’re an adult struggling with pornography, though, nothing is better than confessing to a trusted friend and learning to daily live by grace.

Engaged and Aware

More than anything, parents need to be engaged and aware with their children. They need to know what they’re doing, who they’re hanging out with, what apps they have on their phones and where they’re going on the Internet. In my work with students I’ve found that engaged and aware parents solve 80% of the ills that could befall today’s adolescents. And even if we don’t have kids of our own, we still need to be engaged with those around us. It’s too easy to give our attention to social networks and the world out in cyberspace while ignoring the people and relationships right in front of us.

I had a great time interacting with some parents at my seminar on social media. Learning how to better interact with social media isn’t just for parents, though. Social media have changed our world so fast that we’re still trying to figure out what they’ve affected and how deeply. In the end we have to be vigilant to make sure we’re the ones using our social media and not the other way around.

How do you control your use of social media?

I finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I actually finished it two weeks ago and have just been going back and writing up my reflections. People were right; I wasn’t able to only read four chapters at a time. Once things really got going I had a hard time putting the book down. I’m looking forward to starting the second book. Until then, though, here are some thoughts from the final four chapters of The Sorcerer’s Stone.

Hagrid’s Dragon

The chapter about Hagrid’s dragon seemed somewhat out of place. It felt like an independent story that didn’t have much to do with the rest of the story. The pieces fell into place, though, when Harry learned that Hagrid had given up how to get past Fluffy in exchange for the dragon egg. Poor Hagrid felt terrible when he realized he had been blinded by his desire for a dragon. Too often we’re a lot like Hagrid. Instead of focusing on what’s most important, we give into our desires and seek to gratify them in any way we can. And our giving into temptation may have deeper consequences than the theft of a fictional sorcerer’s stone.

Centaur Astrologists

The centaurs in The Sorcerer’s Stone seem to see the future by looking at the stars. The centaurs in The Chronicles of Narnia were also able to look at the stars and interpret their meanings. I did not know centaurs were such expert astrologists. I also think that even though they basically do the same thing, J.K. Rowling’s centaurs are more likely to be viewed as evil and C.S. Lewis’ centaurs are more likely to be viewed as good. This is one part of the “Harry Potter is evil” argument that I’ve never understood. J.K. Rowling created a fantasy world with wizards, witches and magic. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien did the same thing. However, Rowling’s world is evil while Christians herald those of Lewis and Tolkien. I don’t get it. I do get, though, that to be a serious author I’m going to have to start going by S.R.K. Higa.

Fear

“Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.”

Even after one book, Dumbledore may be my favorite character. He is obviously the wizened wizard, the character sent to teach Harry the deeper things of life. Dumbledore’s statement about Voldemort made me think about sin and its hold over our lives. Very often we like to keep our sin hidden in the dark, where we can wrestle with it in private, never overcoming it. We should take Dumbledore’s advice and name our sin, cast light onto it and confess it to others. When we have named our sin and confessed it, its power over us begins to lessen. Instead of struggling with something alone in the dark, we now have friends to hold us accountable and take away the fear in the light.

I thoroughly enjoyed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I thought it had a great story and I’m looking forward to how it develops over the next six books. If you have any thoughts about the last for chapters of The Sorcerer’s Stone or the book as a whole, please share them below. I would love to read them.

I’ve been busy prepping sermons, working on seminars and watching The Phantom Menace in 3D. It’s been so long that I don’t remember what I was doing in Skyrim. Hopefully I’ll find some time this weekend to fire up my Xbox and kill some dragons.

To tide me over, though, here are some biblical characters and the video games they would play.

Adam – Viva Piñata

Viva Piñata is an Xbox 360 game released in 2006. The object of the game was to cultivate a beautiful garden for the piñatas that lived there. Adam would have been perfect for this game because his main responsibility was tending the Garden. Part of the game also involved protecting the piñatas from the evil Ruffians. Had Adam practiced his gardening and protecting skills in Viva Piñata, he may have been able to defend Eve and himself from that wily, walking snake.

David – Call of Duty

David was possibly the Bible’s greatest warrior. He was a fierce fighter and successfully led his men into battle. Call of Duty is the ultimate warrior’s video game. We know what David was able to do with a sling; it would be great to see what he was able to do with an AK-47 or a chopper gunner. David would also be a lot of fun at a Call of Duty party. He knew how to throw a party, was generous with the food and could probably get a couple ladies to show up. Then, when the party was over, David would be able to lead a small group about pursuing God wholeheartedly. That’s a lot of range.

Nehemiah – Tetris

In 1990 my dad got my mom a Game Boy for Christmas. My mom didn’t want a Game Boy but I definitely did. The second half of my fourth grade year was spent throwing fireballs in Super Mario Land and stacking blocks in Tetris. Even now, over 20 years later, I’m still playing Tetris. I have the classic game on my phone and my goal is still to get as many Tetrises as I can. Nehemiah would have been ancient Israel’s best Tetris player. He dedicated his life to putting block on top of block in order to rebuild the wall around Israel. After rebuilding the wall Tetris would have been child’s play for Nehemiah. Even when faced with a dearth of straight pieces, he wouldn’t have caved under the pressure.

I haven’t gotten to play video games for a while, mostly because I’ve had more important things to do. Some of that is related to work but a lot of it has to do with spending time with family, friends and the elliptical. I may not feel complete without video games but Adam, David and Nehemiah seem to have gotten along without them. So I suppose I can too.

I still want to kill a dragon, though.

What other video games would biblical characters have played?

Jeremy Lin is the point guard sensation for the New York Knicks. After scoring 25 points off the bench in a game against the New Jersey Nets on February 4, Lin has been in the starting lineup and led the Knicks to 6 straight wins. His meteoric rise has given way to “Linsanity” as the NBA’s most compelling storyline centers on an Asian American.

I have caught Linsanity.

Not only can I identify with Jeremy Lin because he is Asian American but he is also a devout Christian. Lin openly discusses his faith and how it has led him to this place. In an interview with the Denver Post, Lin described how he had to fully surrender his NBA career to God in order to find freedom. Now that he has, he said wants to find more ways to surrender and more ways to bring God glory.

People have drawn comparisons between Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin. At this point, though, there isn’t nearly as much controversy around Lin as there is around Tebow. That mostly has to do with Lin’s undeniable success. Some argued that the Broncos were successful in spite of Tim Tebow. For the past 6 games Jeremy Lin has been instrumental in the Knicks’ success, scoring 38 points against the Lakers and hitting last-second, game-winning shots. Because of his success, Christians don’t have to blindly support Lin while ignoring his faults, which might lead to less controversy.

I don’t know if Linsanity will continue forever. At this point, though, I enjoy being able to identify with Jeremy Lin as both an Asian American and a Christian. Now I just wish I had decided to be a Knicks fan at the beginning of the season instead of a Warriors fan (especially since the Warriors cut Lin in December).

Have you caught Linsanity?

I got a Mac.

Those are four words I wasn’t sure would ever apply to my life. I have used PCs my entire life and had spent over four years working on PCs as a computer consultant. I wrote about how I was torn between getting a Mac or a PC and the choice’s implications on my attitudes and identity.

In the end, though, I got a Mac.

In the end, the only thing keeping me from getting a Mac was fear.

In the end, I didn’t want my choices to be dictated by fear. (Unless that choice has something to do with zombies).

As a converted PC, though, there are a few things I’ll never do now that I’m a Mac.

Superiority Complex

Aside from fear, I also didn’t want to get a Mac because of the attitude so often associated with Mac users. In my experience a lot of Mac users have a superiority complex and can’t even imagine why anyone would use something as inferior as a PC. I hope to never have that attitude, partly because Jesus told us not to lord anything over people, but also because that attitude sucks. PCs are great machines and PC users are great people. And if I ever walk around with my nose in the air because I think I’m too good for PCs, I hope someone chops it off.

The Kool-Aid

A lot of Mac users also seem to have drunk the Kool-Aid. One of the most powerful aspects of the Mac brand is the culture that surrounds it. Studies have shown that some people’s brains react to the Mac brand in the same way others respond to religious experiences. Even though I got a Mac and I’m happy with it, I don’t want to drink the Kool-Aid. I don’t want to be a Mac disciple; I want to be a Jesus disciple. People elevate all sorts of different things to unhealthy levels; I may be guilty of doing that with Skyrim. In the end, though, anything that steals our affection for God is an idol, whether it’s a Mac, a PC, an Xbox 360 or a Commodore 64.

Hipster

A lot of the Mac culture also translates to clothing. It’s true that a number of Mac users are grandparents and older professionals. When I think of Mac, though, I don’t think about the businessman in the tailored suit. When I think about Mac, I think about hipster 20 somethings with their flannel shirts, skinny jeans, aggressive piercings and unkempt facial hair. Part of me is a little envious because I can’t grow any facial hair whatsoever, but mostly I don’t want to be a hipster. I don’t want to sport a wallet chain and I don’t want to shop at American Apparel. Hopefully I’ll be able to use a Mac and continue wearing Star Wars shoes and Chick-fil-A shirts.

For better or worse, I am now a Mac. Maybe that’s overstating it. I’m not a Mac, I just own a Mac. It doesn’t add value to my life and I only have to identify with the Mac culture if I choose. So for now I choose to be myself. I’ll use my Mac to write sermons, nerdy blog posts and look up pictures of baby animals. And, in the end, those three things say more about me than a computer ever can.

If you’re a Mac user, what advice to do you have for me? If you’re a PC user, please forgive me.

It had been 13 years since I saw Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in the movie theaters. 13 years ago I was filled with as much excitement as anyone else to see the prequels. While the movies didn’t necessarily live up the original trilogy, I still enjoy them and, as I wrote about here, don’t really have any nerd rage over them.

Rage-free, I happily handed my money to AMC Theaters and George Lucas to experience The Phantom Menace in 3-D. The 3-D wasn’t that spectacular since it obviously wasn’t filmed in 3-D. But, as far as the movie goes, the 3-D didn’t make the bad parts any worse and it made the good parts a little better.

Here are some thoughts on the movie.

Podracing

13 years ago I loved the podracing scene and I still do today. The podracing had a lot more depth in 3-D and was wonderful to experience again in the theater. I was struck by how many of the drivers died in the podrace. There were a lot of drivers and only Anakin finished. And, unlike Sebulba, a lot of those drivers didn’t walk away from their accidents. It’s hard to walk away from a crash that leads to an immense fireball. I also like the application of Anakin’s slow start compared to how he finished. Very often in life it’s not how we begin that matters but how we finish. Just like Anakin finished his race well, it’s God’s desire for us to run our race strong and finish well.

Messiah

As I’ve written about before, our culture is filled with so many messianic figures because the entire universe revolves around the one, true Messiah. Anakin Skywalker is definitely the messianic figure in the Star Wars universe. Not only is he “the chosen one”, but he is also the product of virgin-birth. He was conceived by microscopic Force entities and it was prophesied to bring balance to the Force. Jesus was the product of virgin-birth and it was prophesied that he would set everything right. Fortunately for us, though, Jesus didn’t turn to the Dark Side and plunge the galaxy into a decades-long civil war.

Kids

I was amazed at the number of kids in the theater with me. I thought the theater would mainly be populated by older nerds like me. While there were plenty of awkward looking adult nerds, the majority of the audience was kids with their parents. Kids today love Star Wars just as much as I did when I was a kid. And, in their minds, there’s no distinction between the prequels and the original trilogy; it’s just all Star Wars to them. Star Wars’ popularity with kids just goes to show that, no matter how young, we’re all looking for a narrative and story in which to participate. That’s part of the reason why Jesus called children to himself. In their youth and innocence, they’re ready to accept a larger story for their lives. We as adults just need to be willing to come alongside them and show them that story.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Phantom Menace 3-D. As soon as the lights dimmed and John Williams’ score kicked in, I was fully transported to that galaxy far, far away. I certainly hope that enough people see Episode I in the theater so, in a few years, we can see the original trilogy in 3-D on the big screen.

Until then DVDs, Blu-rays and arguments about Greedo shooting first will have to tide us over.

What are your thoughts about The Phantom Menace?