Dearly Beloved,
I know "you never asked for this." Why would you? Bringing these two worlds together feels almost...foolhardy. I honestly do not know what can be gained from all this...
Those aren't just my thoughts.
The developers at SquareSoft (now Square Enix) had similar reservations for a new idea for a video game they had been working on. As a matter of fact, they thought it was going to flop!
In 2002, a peculiar, but heartwarming tale entitled Kingdom Hearts appeared on shelves. The game combined two VERY opposite worlds (more-so if you count all the individual SquareSoft games) that really have no right to interact. Japanese roleplaying game icons teamed up with Disney characters to save the realm before it fell into the hands of the forces of darkness, aptly called The Heartless.
This was for kids! Or so we thought...
But scratch beneath the surface, and there are wonderful themes of redemption, friendship, promise-keeping, and the nature of the human heart.
That's the beauty of it...
And fans love it!
Now, seven games later, two HD remixes (a third on the way), and the final game to wrap up this story arc hopefully coming in 2017, the series has never been stronger (you can leave the endorsement check under the door, Square Enix).
Kingdom Hearts, I believe, is a wonderful parallel for gaming in general for two reasons. For starters, it parallels the shift in public opinion on the gaming industry as a whole. At one time, video games were just seen as something for kids to pass the time.
But scratch beneath the surface...
The second, and far more important parallel, is that of video games and Christianity. These two worlds are, in essence, complete opposites! Very few on either side have really tried--or really desired--a combination of the two (I don't recommend the current batch of blatant Christian video games. Good intentions, sure. But they're just not...good. More on this later).
And with gaming growing more and more in the public spotlight--for the good, the bad, and the ugly--I see Christianity silently struggling what to do with it. I say silently because there's not much discussion on the matter. There's only three books I know of delving into the topic.
One of them is less than 150 pages and is about video games and religion in general, not necessarily Christianity (God and the Machine: Video Games as Spiritual Pursuit).
Another is not a book at all! It is just a collection of several essays by academics (Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God). These essays are interesting and good, but they're not able to have the same kind of depth as a book.
And the last book is simply incredible... partly because I'm kinda sorta quoted in it (Of Games & God: A Christian Exploration of Video Games, Ch. 9, pg. 164, the sentence about Dragon Age was something I touched on when I took Kevin Schut's survey!).
Like I said, there's not much discussion. And when there's not much discussion, that's when I see the "fight or flight" mentality kick in. If you don't understand something, you either run from it or you attack it. Hence why Harry Potter, Dungeons & Dragons, and even Jazz music have all been morally questioned by members of the church. Some suspicions about these pieces of art can be valid in extremely specific scenarios, but I think the main motivation can be boiled down to "fear of the unknown."
Sure, I'm biased. I'll admit it. I grew up with games, and they have become my preferred medium of entertainment. Heck, I only watch TV maybe once a week for football.
But if Jesus asked the rich, young ruler to give everything he had to the poor and follow him, then shouldn't I, a follower of Christ, be willing to give up my favorite hobby if my Lord commands it (the very thought makes me rather uncomfortable, but in a good way, I guess)?
Granted, I'm only 24 years old. I don't have all the answers (shocking, I know). The main purpose of writing this blog is not to vocalize my opinion to the world; opinions will be shared, but they are far from being set in stone. Instead, this is to start a discussion, especially for you parents out there, who have or will have children who will jump into video games! If nothing else, this is a starting point for people to think about how the gospel can permeate through every aspect of their lives, especially in entertainment, where our want of it seems to be growing exponentially.
At least, that is what I hope comes of this. Truth is, I'm afraid of wasting everyone's time--mine especially. Because if you play games, then your mind is already made up; if you don't, then you won't care, because video games are irrelevant to you.
Nonetheless, I want to talk about this. As an introvert, it is hard for me to express myself, which makes it incredibly difficult to connect with other people. Add to that a recent case of depression and, for a while, I felt worthless, alone, and distant from God. Most of it has passed, but some of it still lingers as I add the finishing touches to this blog.
This idea actually spawned out of that depression. If I combined my love of Christ with my fondness of video games in a way that allowed others to empathize then maybe... just maybe... I wouldn't feel so left out.
Looking back (A year later?! Wow, I'm slow!), my motivations were silly. One blog cannot fix my awkwardness nor my introversion. I will still have trouble connecting with people. But maybe good can still come from this endeavor. After all, if God can use a donkey to get someone's attention (Numbers 22:31-35), then maybe he can use someone like me!
A few disclaimers before we begin:
Got it memorized? Good.
So please join me (and pray for me) as I try to bring together God's magnificent kingdom and the sinful heart of video games--two opposites that have no right to interact...
But that's the beauty of it...
I know "you never asked for this." Why would you? Bringing these two worlds together feels almost...foolhardy. I honestly do not know what can be gained from all this...
Those aren't just my thoughts.
The developers at SquareSoft (now Square Enix) had similar reservations for a new idea for a video game they had been working on. As a matter of fact, they thought it was going to flop!
In 2002, a peculiar, but heartwarming tale entitled Kingdom Hearts appeared on shelves. The game combined two VERY opposite worlds (more-so if you count all the individual SquareSoft games) that really have no right to interact. Japanese roleplaying game icons teamed up with Disney characters to save the realm before it fell into the hands of the forces of darkness, aptly called The Heartless.
This was for kids! Or so we thought...
But scratch beneath the surface, and there are wonderful themes of redemption, friendship, promise-keeping, and the nature of the human heart.
That's the beauty of it...
And fans love it!
Now, seven games later, two HD remixes (a third on the way), and the final game to wrap up this story arc hopefully coming in 2017, the series has never been stronger (you can leave the endorsement check under the door, Square Enix).
Kingdom Hearts, I believe, is a wonderful parallel for gaming in general for two reasons. For starters, it parallels the shift in public opinion on the gaming industry as a whole. At one time, video games were just seen as something for kids to pass the time.
But scratch beneath the surface...
The second, and far more important parallel, is that of video games and Christianity. These two worlds are, in essence, complete opposites! Very few on either side have really tried--or really desired--a combination of the two (I don't recommend the current batch of blatant Christian video games. Good intentions, sure. But they're just not...good. More on this later).
And with gaming growing more and more in the public spotlight--for the good, the bad, and the ugly--I see Christianity silently struggling what to do with it. I say silently because there's not much discussion on the matter. There's only three books I know of delving into the topic.
One of them is less than 150 pages and is about video games and religion in general, not necessarily Christianity (God and the Machine: Video Games as Spiritual Pursuit).
Another is not a book at all! It is just a collection of several essays by academics (Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God). These essays are interesting and good, but they're not able to have the same kind of depth as a book.
And the last book is simply incredible... partly because I'm kinda sorta quoted in it (Of Games & God: A Christian Exploration of Video Games, Ch. 9, pg. 164, the sentence about Dragon Age was something I touched on when I took Kevin Schut's survey!).
Like I said, there's not much discussion. And when there's not much discussion, that's when I see the "fight or flight" mentality kick in. If you don't understand something, you either run from it or you attack it. Hence why Harry Potter, Dungeons & Dragons, and even Jazz music have all been morally questioned by members of the church. Some suspicions about these pieces of art can be valid in extremely specific scenarios, but I think the main motivation can be boiled down to "fear of the unknown."
Sure, I'm biased. I'll admit it. I grew up with games, and they have become my preferred medium of entertainment. Heck, I only watch TV maybe once a week for football.
But if Jesus asked the rich, young ruler to give everything he had to the poor and follow him, then shouldn't I, a follower of Christ, be willing to give up my favorite hobby if my Lord commands it (the very thought makes me rather uncomfortable, but in a good way, I guess)?
Granted, I'm only 24 years old. I don't have all the answers (shocking, I know). The main purpose of writing this blog is not to vocalize my opinion to the world; opinions will be shared, but they are far from being set in stone. Instead, this is to start a discussion, especially for you parents out there, who have or will have children who will jump into video games! If nothing else, this is a starting point for people to think about how the gospel can permeate through every aspect of their lives, especially in entertainment, where our want of it seems to be growing exponentially.
At least, that is what I hope comes of this. Truth is, I'm afraid of wasting everyone's time--mine especially. Because if you play games, then your mind is already made up; if you don't, then you won't care, because video games are irrelevant to you.
Nonetheless, I want to talk about this. As an introvert, it is hard for me to express myself, which makes it incredibly difficult to connect with other people. Add to that a recent case of depression and, for a while, I felt worthless, alone, and distant from God. Most of it has passed, but some of it still lingers as I add the finishing touches to this blog.
This idea actually spawned out of that depression. If I combined my love of Christ with my fondness of video games in a way that allowed others to empathize then maybe... just maybe... I wouldn't feel so left out.
Looking back (A year later?! Wow, I'm slow!), my motivations were silly. One blog cannot fix my awkwardness nor my introversion. I will still have trouble connecting with people. But maybe good can still come from this endeavor. After all, if God can use a donkey to get someone's attention (Numbers 22:31-35), then maybe he can use someone like me!
A few disclaimers before we begin:
- I do not own anything I reference (especially Kingdom Hearts. I'm not that creative). I am protected by Fair Use in the Copyright Act.
- In order to not shy away from the tough subjects presented by video games and its players, this blog will be rated "M" for MATURE! I will be showing and discussing graphic violence, sensuality/sexual themes, very strong language, and other mature themes not appropriate for a younger audience. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
- If you are not Christian, I must ask that you be respectful of the ideas presented. Please do not start flame wars or attack the faith. That is not the purpose of this blog. I was wanting more substance and depth, so there are quite a few presuppositions within the text. Therefore, you may not understand everything I'm talking about or where I am coming from, but I hope you can see that the gospel goes deeper than you and I first believed. If you have questions about the Christian faith, please contact me or a pastor (a pastor would be MUCH better, fyi, but I will do my best!).
Got it memorized? Good.
So please join me (and pray for me) as I try to bring together God's magnificent kingdom and the sinful heart of video games--two opposites that have no right to interact...
But that's the beauty of it...