This guest post was written by David Matthews, a writer over at TechSpot. Be sure to follow him on Twitter (see his bio at the bottom) and hope you enjoy it. Leave your comments and let’s talk about this topic! Thank you, David.
One of the most fundamental questions that we inevitably face is: Where do we come from and how did we get here? Okay, that’s technically two questions but bear with me. As humans, we naturally wonder how this universe came into being and what does it mean for our lives. As Christians, we believe that God created the heavens and earth (Genesis 1:1) but is there any way to see that outside of the bible?
When I was in college (and partially in high school), I studied how to program in C++, C#, and Java. In fact, I even took a class in game design and programmed a very basic platformer. Anyone who uses a computer knows that somebody had to code the program they’re using. Likewise, gamers know that it took a human being with knowledge of programming languages, 3D design, and storytelling to create incredible games like Legend of Zelda, Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, and The Witcher 3.
The games we play don’t appear out of thin air. We know that the games didn’t make themselves. There are intentionality and intelligence behind those games. There is structure, engineering, and purpose that cannot come through random chance. This, my friends, is how we know God exists.
Going back to scripture, Paul reminds us in Romans 1:20 that, “For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”
While the Bible is God’s special revelation, God has also given His general revelation through nature. Just like games, the universe and our planet have intentionality and intelligence. The entire universe runs on set laws of physics. The human body alone has several systems (cardiovascular, muscular, skeletal, nervous, digestive…etc) that each has a specific design and purpose. As a network engineer, I continually marvel at how complex our bodies are and it has convinced me that only a sentient, intelligent being created all of it.
The next time you play your favorite video game and marvel at the high-resolution graphics or clever level design, remember that the creativity to make those games ultimately came from The Great Designer. The reason we are able to enjoy the beauty of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the intense storytelling of Red Dead Redemption 2, or the unbridled speed of Sonic the Hedgehog, is that we are “Imago Dei”, made in the image of God. We reflect His creativity, His cleverness, and His beauty. We serve a God who loved us so much that He sent Jesus to redeem us from our sinfulness. So that the gaming art that we create or consume is done ultimately for His glory instead of our own.
Hi there. My name is David Matthews. I am a husband, father, techie, geek, nerd, and of course, gamer. But first and foremost, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. By day, I do boring IT stuff but by night, I am a freelance tech journalist at TechSpot. I like to write about technology, gaming, and how it affects us as people. Feel free to follow me on Twiter @packetstealer
“Soli Deo Gloria”