This blog his been an extension of my writing of mine for the past 3 years or so. I don’t remember the day that I decided to start it, but I do remember that I wanted to write my thoughts on faith and video game somehow. It wasn’t something of a big deal, yet I felt my voice would be useful to others out there. I’ve learned that if no one else is doing it, might as well do it yourself.
There weren’t many people that were tackling this topic at all except for Gamechurch, Christian Geek Central, Geeks Under Grace and a few others here and there. Even a couple of sites aren’t around anymore or have shifted their focus from Christian ministry to just reviewing games. I do believe that God was putting this on the hearts of several individuals and groups to start making communities and content for Christians who are geeks, gamers, anime otaku, etc. Looking around today, there are many other groups who are going to conventions and sharing the gospel, writing books like Faith & Fiction, and doing Youtube videos like Geek Devotions. Yet, I still feel that my blog has a unique voice in video games.
When I write, I want to express, defend, and show that video games aren’t as bad as people make them out to be. Christian or not, they are always vilified and shown in a negative light. Sure, there are violent games but not all of them are. When I play video games, I try to find what God wants to tell me while I am playing. Yes, I do believe that God is always speaking to us, regardless of what is going on. His voice can be small and still, we just have to listen and pay attention. When it does happen though, I get a strong desire to want to connect either the bible or an experience I’ve had to what I was just playing.
For example, I’m working on a post about Cosmic Star Heroine and the sense of humor that’s in the game. The characters are pretty calm and comical about their dangerous circumstances, but it’s because they are confident they will succeed in their missions. I have been in situations that were difficult, not life threatening, but still I wasn’t sure how I would figure out a solution. It’s happened in my marriage whether it’s a misunderstanding, or at work when it’s just so much to do I don’t know how I will get things done. Instead of focusing on the possible, I ask God to do the impossible and He always guides me. Whether I like the answer or not, His will is greater than mine and I have to allow Him to work through me.
It’s tricky sometimes trying to figure out how to get anything worth writing about from a game, like the one I’m playing now called Tomb Raider. It’s a great game, but it has a lot of violence, gore, and even occult rituals. I wasn’t aware of how hardcore the game was, but I still want to write something on it one way or another. If not, I won’t force myself and just drop it.
For those of you that are still on the fence about video games or how God’s grace and word can be found in a game that clearly isn’t Christian in nature, let me help you understand. No matter what it is, God can use it for His glory. There are countless examples in the bible of God using innate objects, creatures, or anything else to speak to people. To Moses, He spoke through a bush, Balaam was told to stop by a donkey, Elijah was corrected by God’s voice in the wind, Ezekiel in a flaming wheel, and so on.
As a Christian who just enjoys playing these wonderful forms of entertainment called video games, I hope you will continue this journey with me in finding His grace, mercy, values, and anything He wants to show us.
Do you create anything, whether it’s writing, art, music, crafts, programming, etc.? What’s your process like, and what goes through your mind as you do it? I’d like to know, and see how other creatives work. God bless, and thanks for reading 🙂