I started thinking about the video games that I used to play when I was a kid. Sonic the Hedge Hog, Super Mario, etc. You always had a little character who would be going through a world collecting treasures, avoiding monsters, and trying to get through various obstacles. The goal was always to get through to the end of the level so that you could go on to the next level of the game.
I never realized how much those games mocked and mimicked life at the same time. We are all on this gameboard trying to get through life’s obstacles, avoiding dangers, and collecting treasures and we go along to the next level. But what’s the purpose? Is it all a game with a goal to get the highest score when we die?
I often would get bored with these games because they seemed pointless to me. Going through one level just meant I would go to a new level with new obstacles, dangers, and treasures, but it would still be essentially the same thing. It was fun for a while, but then just boring.
There was one game though that I remember. It was Atari’s Fantastic Voyage. It was based on the movie of the same name. There was a point in the game when the ship could be maneuvered outside of the normal paying field. I loved it. It was like being able to break the rules without breaking into the computer code or being a hacker. More importantly, I want to know that my gameplay could be something more than what was written in the code. I hoped the programmer had greater expectations for me than flying in between the lines.
Here’s my point: Too many people treat life like some game. You are born, you follow the rules, you face the obstacles, avoid the dangers, and collect the treasures. At the end of the game, if you did everything well enough, you are supposed to be rewarded with Heaven. I hope God had greater expectations for me. I believe my life can be so much more than that.
My faith saved me. May God’s peace reside in all of our hearts.
