There's this new augmented-reality game called "Pokémon GO," which uses maps and smartphones to turn any player into virtual-reality "Pokémon trainers." It turns various landmarks, in any city, into places where players can find items or monsters to catch. While it sounds cool to any young one or young-at-heart out there, what is surprising is how the game sends players to church.
You see, based on this article from Kotaku, the game designates various churches as "PokéStops," where players can get in-game items. The article posted various social media posts from players who, apparently, do not like going to church. Some of them even hate the thought of it. Reading that article hurts, but we have to ask, why do they think that way?
Stark contrast
The Christian God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God that we have as our Father, Saviour, Lover and Friend, is a very kind, compassionate and loving God who continually looks out for our best (see 2 Chronicles 16:9; Romans 8:28). He created the world in much excitement, created the first man and woman with much love and care, and even has the days of our lives recorded in His book long before we ever lived (Psalm 139:16). He is love personified, the very One who died on the cross out of love for all of us (see 1 John 4:8-10; John 3:16).
And He will never stop loving us, nor let anything stop Him from loving us (Romans 8:31-39).
But why is it that others dislike church? Why do people hate God? Why do they loathe the idea of going to church? Why is it that these players go to church only to get some "Pokéballs" instead of enjoying fellowship with Christians?
Fellow believers, could it be that these people do not see Christ in us because of how we live? Could it be that they know God only as a set of laws, "thou shalts" and "thou shalt nots" because of how we treated them? Could it be that we Christians failed to represent Christ, whom we so loudly and proudly declare?
Christ-likeness
Fellow believers, I am included in this writing. Let us check ourselves. The Bible says that "our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume" (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). While we will never be relevant and accepted by and in the world with all its worldliness, we should ask ourselves if we are a real aromatic perfume that God would appreciate, or a foul stench that He would never like.
Have we grown in Christ-likeness? Have we lived in love as the Bible commands us? The Lord Jesus took on the form of a man so that He could show us the Father's love (John 14:6-14). Paul became a Jew to Jews and a Gentile to Gentiles so that he could bring them to the Lord (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Have we shown this kind of love to others, enough that they would be excited to go to church without the need for a videogame?
Fellow believers, let us challenge ourselves. Let us grow in the knowledge and in the likeness of Christ.
