Final Fantasy and Jesus

I know that I do a lot of the "____ and Jesus" blog posts, where I take some popular movie or book or video game and begin to find some spiritual significance in it or some way for it relate it to the Bible. I've done Harry Potter, Kingdom Hearts, Lord of the Rings, and even Mario Kart. The title of this one is 'Final Fantasy and Jesus.'

Now, I could go through the story and talk about the spiritual allegory and Christian significance (which there is quite a bit), but today, I'm going to be talking directly about the game itself. As in, the actual cartridge the game is on. Let me explain.

I have a game for the portable Nintendo game system, the Nintendo DS, called, like the title of this blog, is 'Final Fantasy III.' It's, you know, one of those fantasy games boys like with magic and swords and adventure, monsters, pirates, duels, and all that. Since it's on the Nintendo DS, and is portable, I can literally play it anywhere I want.

Well, this past Saturday night, I was packing for a four-day vacation to Savannah, Georgia. Savannah is an amazing place that has it all - an amazing historical city, a wonderful beach, lots of neat places, and all that. It's a five-hour drive from here to there, and luckily, I didn't have to drive. I was going with my mom and dad, and dad was driving, so I got to hang out in the back seat and just enjoy the scenery.

So, I wanted to bring my Nintendo DS and Final Fantasy III - one of the best games I own for the system. So, while I was packing, I began looking for it.

And looking for it.

And looking for it.

AND LOOKING FOR IT.

For hours, literally HOURS, I was looking for it. I ended up gutting both of my rooms, cleaning out both of my closets, and deep cleaning every corner of every place I've been in the past three month trying to find this video game. I spent all afternoon and well into the night looking for that game. At about 1:30 am, after having looking from about 2pm that afternoon (almost 12 hours), I had not found it. I was about to go crazy.

So, I decided to pray about it. Normally, I do not like to pray about petty things like that. Like, 'Lord, please let me get to my movie on time' or 'God, please don't let the internet die - I have things to do!' I never like to pray like that, because I don't find it very respectful to the God of Creation to treat him like a vending machine. But I was pretty desperate. I was on the last stretch of my sanity. All for... a video game. (That I didn't even pay for - it was a gift.)

So, I prayed. I said, 'God, please... I'm at my wits end. I just want to enjoy the car ride down to Savannah tomorrow. Please let me find this game.' So, after that, I began looking again, knowing God would come through for me.

He didn't.

At least, not in the way I expected.

It was about 2am when I gave up the search. I plopped down on my bed thinking of the wasted day of cleaning and searching and hunting for that blasted game. And I even prayed to God, who didn't even help me! I wasn't really angry, just kind of upset.

Then, I think I heard God tell me something. Not audibly, of course, nor did some magic cloud fill my room, nor did I begin speaking gibberish and needed people to interpret my 'prayer language.' Sometimes, we get thoughts that feel so powerful that we know we can't come up with on our own, and I believe these to be actual words from God. He spoke to me in that moment.

"If only you'd look for me like you did that video game."

My response, of course, was. "But I do look for you, Lord. I spend time with you everyday."

"In a ritualistic kind of way - not always because you enjoy it. Image if you lost your Bible. How long would you spend looking for that?"

Ouch. He was right (as He often... er... always is). I had spent so much time and energy looking for, pursuing, something that mattered way too much to me. I spent HALF of a 24-hour day looking for... a video game! It made me wonder... what other things do I spend far too much energy or time on pursuing? I wouldn't say that video games are taking away my time with God (though I know some people who do actually have that problem), but I was thinking...

What things in my life am I pursuing harder that God?

Friendships? Sometimes, when I have a scuff with a friend (happening a lot lately), or just wanted to connect on a fellowship-like level with people, that I put a lot of energy and time into pursuing those relationships.

School? I spent $1000 and 360 hours of my life in the past six months pursuing, chasing, a degree in an undeclared major. I put so much energy and time and effort into making sure that I got that all-powerful 'A' on my grades.

My hobbies/career? I spend a lot of time watching movies, playing games (like I mentioned), making movies, writing and reading... and I spend a lot of time learning and practicing and enjoying things like that. Time. Lots of time.

Are any of those things bad? No! NONE of those things are bad. Friends, school, a career, hobbies - all of those things are good and are great gifts from God... but the question remains.

What are we chasing, pursuing, looking for... more than God? Are we willing to spend half a day looking HARD for a DS game... when we're reluctant to spend 30 minutes reading our Bible? Are we willing to spend three or four of our paychecks on a new LED television... when we're reluctant to tithe a tiny 10% at church? Do we talk on our cell phones or Skype or AIM... more than we talk to God?

Ask God. Ask Him, "God - is there something in my life that is taking the place of you?" If that's not the case, ask Him, like I did, "God, what can I do to pursue you more... more completely? More often? More thoroughly?" It's a dangerous prayer to pray, and pretty uncomfortable when He... actually answers. Then, we don't have any excuses.

So, try it. Ask God. He wants you to be closer to Him, but even more so, He WANTS you to WANT to be closer to Him! His word says...

"The Lord is close to ALL who call on Him; yes - to ALL who call on Him in truth." (Psalm 145:18)

He will come closer to those who actually call on Him - who WANT him to come closer, and those who abide in Truth - God's word.

So, ask Him today. Ask Him how you can become closer to Him.

By the way, I never found that game. I ended up learning a valuable lesson and sleeping all the way down there anyway, hah.

Thanks for Reading!
-Matt

New Jars of Clay Album - 'The Shelter' - Review

"Ar Scáth a Chéile a Mhaireas na Daoine."
"In the shelter of each other, the people live."

Jars of Clay is one of the older Christian rock/pop bands, and are extremely gifted songwriters and performers, loving and active humanitarians, and humble, talented Christians who have been entertaining, moving, and loving on people for over a decade. Yesterday, they released their eleventh studio album, called 'The Shelter.'

After pre-ordering the album, I got it in the mail today, and I was absolutely blown away by this album that I had ridiculously high expectations for. The pure artistry and work that went into this album must be beyond measure.

"'The Shelter,' Dan Haseltine of the band explains, "is a record about community, and how we get to be Jesus for each other. A shelter is refuge from a storm. It is peace in the midst of chaos. Something that cools our fear when we are afraid. I think what I like about the image of a shelter is that it is not something that is apart from the storm, but is something that is placed IN the storm, and yet it is something that keeps us from harm's way, but it's not so far away that we lose sight of it."

The theme of 'The Shelter' is, without a doubt, community. Friendship. Fellowship. Christians coming together, loving one another, and being/living like Jesus for one another and the entire world. This album came at an extremely important time in my life where I've got that very theme on my heart constantly. About isolating myself. About not feeling loved. About giving up. About not having a group friends, a family, or a community I feel I can belong to. All of this is completely ridiculous, though. I know, in my heart, I have all those things, but we have an Enemy that has made it his job to destroy every relationship we, as Christians, have. 'The Shelter' is a battlecry against that. A hymn against isolation. Sadness. Lonliness. A message of hope, love, friendship, and God's grace played out through 11 expertly crafted tracks.

Jars of Clay is not alone on this album, either. To go with the theme of community, Several artists have added their song-writing and musical abilities to the band's own this time. What had the potential to be a cheesy collab of standard Christian fare is everything but that. With Jars of Clay, you have Brandon Heath, Thad Cockrell, Audrey Assad, Gungor, Mac Powell from Third Day, Derek Webb from Caedmon's Call, Burlap to Cahmere, Sixpence None the Richer, TobyMac, Mike Donehey from Tenth Avenue North, David Crowder, Amy Grant, and more that I can't even remember. Wow. That's a lot of folks. Still, this is Jars of Clay's album, and these artists just add to that instead of making it a mishmash of songs and styles.

The album begins with the extremely poignant track 'Small Rebellions.' The opening lyrics set up the entire album beautifully. "God of the break and shattered... hearts, in every form still matter. In our weakness, let us see, that alone we'll never be lifting any burdens off our shoulders...." It sets up the whole idea of a community, and that it's not going to come easy. The chorus makes that clear with it's words. "If our days could be filled with small rebellions... senseless, brutal acts of kindness from us all... If we stand between the fear and firm foundation... push against the current and the fall... We will never walk alone again..."

The next track picks up with 'Call My Name.' It's all about one of the simplest Christian principals, in yet, it's the one all of us struggle with on a daily basis. Being called by God to do something extraordinary. Have purpose in our lives. Jars of Clay has already hit two very important topics in Christianity, and we're only two songs in.

'We Will Follow,' track #3, is like a direct response to track #2. If 'Call My Name' says 'God has a plan for you,' 'We Will Follow' says '...and we're going to follow it!" It's an incredibly happy and hopeful song that has a very simple chorus, but I've already found myself singing it over and over again. "Where you lead us, we will follow..." A little bit of their Nashville roots come out with some epic violin, too.

The next track, 'Eyes Wide Open,' features the voice of Dan Haseltine, but then the instantly recognizable voice of Mac Powell from Third Day. It's a song simply out asking God to keep our eyes open to where he's working. Keep our eyes open to where we can show love. Keep our eyes open to how He can shine his light through us, which should be our prayers daily.

I'm going to skip the title track for now.

'Out of My Hands' is a song about surrendering to God, first, foremost, and obviously. This is a topic Jars of Clay has touched on several times in past albums, but this song perhaps personifies it the best. It speaks of all God has done for us, which is more than we can imagine.

'No Greater Love' is a song about the power of sacrifice. It has, perhaps, a double-meaning. Like John 15:13 says, "There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." There is no greater love than bearing a burden, taking some of the pain, sacrificing for a friend. The other meaning being the same thing, only in the context of what Christ did on the cross. The question features the prayer 'Show me the beauty of a life laid down...' Powerful stuff.

'Run in the Night' is based on my favorite Psalm in the Bible - Psalm 27. It follows closely to the teachings of that chapter, and begins slow and contemplative, but near the end becomes a redemptive piece of love and perfection.

Track #9, 'Lay it Down,' is perhaps my favorite track on the entire album. It speaks of exactly what I've been dealing with for some time now. The senseless, counter-productive attitude of 'isolation will help me.' The song touches on the idea that if you are a Christian, you are a part of the most loving, understanding, welcoming, warm family conceivable. You have a father in heaven you adores you. You have brothers and sisters all over the world that belong to the same father you do, and there's deep connection in that. "We'll never be short on people," they sing, "but we'll never be short on trouble." The hard times always come along. The Enemy always attacks again. The chorus begs the question, "Why carry on our own?" they ask "Why drag this bag of bones to Hell and back again? Look around -" they say. "Lay it down." God puts people in our lives to love us, to build us up, to support and encourage us. We should absolutely allow them in and let them do so, as we are to do the same for them.

'Love Will Find Us' has a message that can be summed up in the chorus. "Run to these arms, be not alone;

Light is leading, love will find us all..." Beautiful.

Now, we'll go back to the title track, then touch on 'Benediction,' the closing track. The title track, 'The Shelter,' sums up the message of the Church in a beautiful way. Now, I did not say it sums up Christianity - it talks about us as Christians, and our roles in that. "To all who are looking down," to song speaks, "holding on to hearts still wounding... for those who've yet to find it: the places near where love is moving... cast off the robes you're wearing, set aside the names you've been given... may this place of rest in the fold of you journey bind you to hope." The idea that we, as Christians, are to be there for each other as the Church. Fellowship. To build each other up. To pray with and for one another. To help out in crisis. To comfort in despair. "God has given us each other..." the song says. In our hearts, hopefully, we have a group of friends or a family we know those words ring true about. I certainly know who God has given me for the purposes of this song. I feel their love and warmth whenever I hear this song. The chorus features the words of the old Irish proverb quoted at the top 'In the shelter of each other, we will live."

And then, in the end, there's 'Benediction.' It's a simple, quite song that basically says 'Now that you have the love of God, the strength of others, and the hope of life, go and spread the word.' Tell the world he loves you.

This album is an amazing collection of talent, meaning, and music that shines even above Jars of Clay's last album, 'The Long Fall Back to Earth.' I have already been blessed with the message and love of this album. It's an absolute must have for anyone.

Small Rebellions - 8/10

Call My Name - 9/10

We Will Follow - 10/10

Eyes Wide Open - 7/10

Shelter - 10/10

Out of My Hands - 8/10

No Greater Love - 8/10

Run in the Night - 7/10

Lay it Down - 10/10

Love Will Find Us - 7/10

Benediction - 9/10

Album as a Whole - 9/10

Highly Recommended.