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

Kingdom Hearts and Jesus

"They'll come at you out of nowhere. The Heartless have great fear of [you]... That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what." -Leon, Kingdom Hearts

A young boy, barely a teenager, sits on the beach he's known his whole life, and stares out at the ocean as the sun slowly sets. Near his closest friends, he says to them this. "It's just... I've always wondered why we're here on this island. Why did I end up here? And suppose there [is more]... [we are] just a little piece of something much greater. So we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?" Sora, the boy, is questioning his destiny. Why am I here? What is my purpose? Isn't there more?

One night, he begins to learn it.

Awakened, he comes face to face with darkness itself. It looks uncomfortably like himself. He tries to fight it, but fails miserably on his own, and sees just how sinister darkness can be, but he also, by divine providence, is given a weapon. A blade, but not only that. A blade used for fighting evil, and unlocking the Hearts of people. The darkness separates Sora from his friends - especially the girl it seems he loves, named Kairi.

What follows in an extremely thrilling, epic, creative and hilarious adventure video game that takes both elements from the popular video game series 'Final Fantasy' and mixes it with the nostalgia and legacy of decades of popular characters and worlds from Disney films. I know I do posts like this quite often - finding spiritual significance in pop culture - but I really thought some things in Kingdom Hearts was profound enough to share with you all.

The game came out in 2002, and I got it about 2005, and just now completed it. The story is marvelous, and it's extremely fun to play, but it seems, especially near the end, there's a lot deeper meaning and spiritual themes coming into play.

First, we have the Enemy. Spoilers follow.

The Enemy, Ansem, sees every person, every being, every man, woman, child, as being inherently evil. He believes, thrives, and plants darkness in people's hearts... so much so, that they begin to loose their heart completely. Oooh, boy - see where I'm going?

They become The Heartless - a creature that shows no emotions, that is void of all love and life; all because of the darkness once deep has been exposed. Ansem thrives on darkness - his power depends completely on the Heartless, for without hearts, they are manipulable and controllable. Those who still have their hearts, he seeks to implant darkness and seize their heart.

Sora, though, has been given a mission. He's been given the Keyblade - a sword said to unlock people's hearts, and destroy darkness itself. With it, he embarks on a mission to seal the worlds from darkness with the power that is in his sword.

Near the end, Sora confronts the Enemy who has taken the form of his friend, Riku. At his feet lies the girl Sora has been searching desperately for since they were separated by darkness, Kairi. Riku explains that his power cannot be made full unless this girl, this princess, this bride... has completely lost heart.

"The Keyhole cannot be completed, so long as the last Princess of Heart still sleeps," the Enemy says. As Sora triumphs over the evil, he realizes she still sleeps. In a dramatic and heart-churning scene, Sora willingly and without reservation gives his life to save her.

Watch the cutscene yourself

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But, as the story goes, death could not hold him under. He returns, fully alive, and though the doors are sealed, and the world has almost been saved... he still has an Enemy to destroy...

Sora travels to the End of the World where he meets the King of Darkness himself. Ansem. He is beginning to set things in motion that will completely destroy the hearts of everyone, and darkness will sweep across eternity and all will be his. As he's about to fill himself with the power of Darkness, Sora proclaims the Truth to combat Ansem's lie.

"I know now... without a doubt... that Kingdom Hearts... is Light."

Or, allow me to paraphrase for my own purposes: "I know now, that without a doubt, the key to the heart... the key to the kingdom... is Light."

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Ansem is defeated. In a beautiful cutscene, we see Sora promise Kairi, his girl, his Bride, that nothing can ever truly separate them. As the music plays, and the light of the Hearts are returned to the people, new life sweeps across the land, and everything is made new again. The Kingdom, literally, is restored, and the Bride is safe, thanks to the one who is Light. The Enemy vanquished, friends reunited, and the Hearts are set free. Wow.

Now, okay, to be fair, I have not played the sequel, though I will be soon. Chances are significant that any sort of plot device that is in the sequel could very well shatter the spiritual significance I've found in the first game, but just for a moment, feel the story the game is telling. I got pretty specific, but the overall message of Kingdom Hearts seems to be "The Heart is being attacked by darkness... the only thing to save and restore it is with the Light.'

Just as Sora has an enemy trying to steal the hearts of people and use the power of darkness to gain power, so do we. Our very real Enemy, Satan himself, has the same motivations. He wants to cripple and destroy your heart. Why? The same reason Ansem wanted Sora stopped - he wanted to stop him. If our hearts are set free with the Light, the Enemy fears us, because he knows what we're capable when we realize that 'Kingdom Hearts is, indeed, Light.'

Armed with Keyblades, swords, of our own (Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12) - the truth, we are to combat the Enemy as well. We must remember the sacrifice Jesus made to set us free, and we must remember how death could not defeat him. We must remember how, in the end, the Light of the World will ultimately triumph over evil once and for all, and the Kingdom will be restored, and everything made new again. It's a powerful truth, and it's ten times more epic than any video game you could ever play.

Remember the story you're in, remember the battle you're fighting. Remember to fight the lie with the Truth of the Light. Don't surrender your Heart to the darkness. You play a far too important role to allow that to happen.

Now if only we had our own Gummi Ships. That would be sweet.

Thanks for Reading,

-Matt

Mario Kart and Jesus

For an 18-year-old gamer, Mushroom Gorge is a tough track on Mario Kart Wii.

For a 5-year-old girl, Mushroom Gorge can seem nearly impossible.

My niece Gracie was hanging out over here, at my house today. She's five years old, and she's starting Kindergarten in two days. It's crazy to think, even as just her uncle, that she's already starting real school and growing up. Anyway, today, she was over here, and I introduced her to Mario Kart for the Wii.

At first, she seemed really shaky. If you know anything about Mario Kart, you'll know that the fact she took seven minutes to finish Luigi's Circuit doesn't exactly make her a professional. She didn't really grasp the idea of moving the control stick to steer, or to keep holding down the gas button to keep her car going. After one race, she wanted to quit.

"No," I said, "You can do it - it just takes experience." She tried again, and was a little bit better. She switched to another racetrack, and was even better the third time. She was very happy that she was getting so good at this game that was new to her.

And then, she got to Mushroom Gorge.

Mushroom Gorge is basically a giant hurdle. Half the time, you've got flat, straight roads that are easy to navigate, but the other half of the time, you've got giant gaps to leap, ridiculous cliffs to jump over, uncountable mushrooms to bounce off of and hope that you land safely on the other side. It's tough, even for an experienced Mario Karter, but to my niece, it was almost impossible.

I could see the frustration building in her face and the disappointment surfacing in her heart as she tried desperately to transverse the cliffs of this racetrack. She turned to me and said 'Matt, can you do it for me?'

I thought about it. I could definitely do it for her. I mean, I'm a pretty good player - the best in my house. If there's anyone that could beat it for her, it would be me. But I also thought, too, of how happy I know she'd be if she could beat it herself. Still, she needed help, and I wanted to offer it to her.

"All you have to do," I began, "Is to drive very straight off the ramp. Then, you'll bounce off the mushroom and land on the other side." She tried it once, and failed. "One more time," I said, "But this time, don't worry about it - just do what I said, and you'll be fine." She was placed back on the racetrack, and began to drive forward, as she tried once more.

She flew off the ramp, bounced right off the mushroom, and landed safely on the other side.

"You did it!" I exclaimed as she, literally, dropped the control, beaming, and said back to me "I did it!" She was so very happy that she was able to cross something simple and silly like the first gap on a Mario Kart track. But, you know, she had experience now. As I sit here and write this, she is sitting behind me, playing Mushroom Gorge over and over again. It's her favorite racetrack. She can speed through the entire course in under three minutes now. She rarely falls off the track anymore. She's able to fly over the cliffs, and always land safely.

Christianity can be a lot like Mario Kart.

When Gracie first started playing, it took a lot of getting used to. I mean, who's ever heard of a green dinosaur on a motorcycle racing a princess and a plumber anyway? The concept was brand new to her. The game controller was brand new to her, but in no time, she was up and going. That's how, most of the time, we feel about of walks with God as Christians. Pretty good, they might say. Not great, but pretty good.

Then, she was faced with Mushroom Gorge. Disheartened and discouraged, she didn't know what to do. She asked me, like I said earlier, "Can you do it for me, Matt?" It seems like when we're faced with the tough stuff in life, we go straight to do and ask the same question... for some of us, it's the only time we go to God. When we need him to do something.

But, like Gracie and Mushroom Gorge, sometimes, I believe that God let's us face struggle to teach us something - to essentially train us.

Let's look at David for a minute. This little kid, basically, who goes to bring his brothers some lunch one day, and he sees them all cowering at the very mention of their enemy, Goliath's, name. David approaches King Saul, and says, "Well, I'll fight him." King Saul probably laughs as he says "Don't be ridiculous! There's no way you can possibly win... you're just a boy." Let's pick it up there.

But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” - 1 Samuel 17:34-37

Now, when David was a young shepherd boy, do you think he enjoyed fighting off lions and bears? Do you think it was easy for him? Of course not. It's a freaking bear. It's a freaking lion. If you've ever seen the Discovery Channel, you know that... bears and lions are vicious and violent. David, obviously a young man who loved the Lord, could have said 'God, PLEASE, do this for me!' But as we read, David would go off and wrestle the bears and lions himself, by clubbing it to death like the warrior he was. God was always with him, preserving him, but it was a struggle to protect his sheep and to do his job right.

You see, when we face hardships, struggles, or challenges in life, and we ask Him to take care of it for us, sometimes it seems like He's inactive. We might feel discouraged, but think for a moment about what he could be saying. "Listen to what I have to say, and do what I say do." Just like Gracie in Mushroom Gorge where I instructed her how to jump the mushroom, just like how, unbeknownst to him, David was being trained up to fight Goliath someday. "The Lord rescued me..." David said, but it was because he was taking action and doing what he knew God had already instructed him to do.

'Well then,' you may be asking, 'That's great, but how do I know what God wants me to do?' That's an easy answer. God's given you an entire book of 'What to Do.' The Bible.

When the hard times come, and we ask God to Divinely intervene, I think sometimes we forget about how much He already has. He's given us everything He's ever wanted to reveal to the human race... all in one convenient, complete, and usually leather-bound volume. The answers are there - it just takes time, studying, and faith to find them in there.

So next time when you're faced with a 'Gorge' in your life, when you pray, consider changing your prayer from 'God, fix this for me,' to 'God, give me wisdom - show me what to do.'

But, seriously, Gracie is still here playing Mushroom Gorge. The song is getting a bit annoying, but I wouldn't tell her to stop for anything.

Thanks for reading!
-Matt

The Legend of YOU - Finding Spiritual Truth in Hyrule

So, there's a little Nintendo 64 game you might have played before. 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.'

Claimed by some to be the greatest video game ever created, 'Ocarina of Time' is the first 3D installment of the popular 'Legend of Zelda' game franchise, and is a massive, huge, epic adventure of mythical proportions. It was an ambitious game - nothing like it had ever been made or even attempted. Many people have many fond memories surrounding this game. As I was sitting here, I started thinking about some of the big picture stuff regarding the game, and, slowly, some very spiritual parallels started forming.

The Kokiri Forest - The Beginning

When you start playing through ‘Ocarina of Time’ for the first time, you see how much fun it is. You begin your journey, and there are little tasks and missions for you to do everywhere. You have little victories here and there, you slay some monsters, and you win some battles. You meet new people, and you do realize you’ve just begun a huge, awesome, epic adventure. Everything feels safe, and you're just starting to learn about the world around you, known as Hyrule

The Adventure and the Evil One

Then, after playing a while, the initial spark and enthusiasm wears off. Your adventure is getting harder and harder, but eh – you can handle it. You also discover that you, who at first appear to be nothing more than a weak child, have a very real, very evil enemy – Gannondorf. They call him the Prince of Evil and the 'Demon Thief.' He want’s you to kill you more than anything – why? He realizes you’ve received a gift from Heaven, the Triforce, and that with it, you have power… and this scares Gannondorf to death. He begins throwing every enemy and obstacle he has at you. Monsters, dungeons, enemies, dark magic – everything he can throw at young link because he fears what he’s capable of. He's ready to fight.

Still, though, Link marches on. It’s getting tougher and tougher, but Link is still fighting. It seems, though, after trekking through temple after temple, you get gets stuck in a rut. Things are getting more and more frustrating, and that initial spark you had when you first started playing is almost gone, if not completely gone. You’re now just going through the motions, trying to get from point A to point B. Things aren’t as magical as they seemed at the beginning.

Then, suddenly, you’re faced with the Water Temple.

The Water Temple

The Water Temple is so freakishly hard and frustrating. There are creatures lurking in every corridor. There are brain-melting puzzles that are almost impossible to solve by yourself. There are twists and turns that leave you, the player, devastated. In fact, the water temple is so tough that… you feel like you could just give up. In fact, a lot of players do. The water temple is tough, and they can’t handle it.

The funny thing is... that’s exactly how Christianity can be.

You start off, when you first become a Christian and you get on fire for God. You have small victories here and there, and you’re just so captivated on this new adventure God has invited you on. You stay on your ‘Jesus High’ for a while - where everything is seen in a new light, and life if abundant and exciting! You start going to church, you meet new people, God blesses you in little ways, and everything’s just awesome. You feel safe in his hands, and you get comfortable.

Then, after a while, you realize ‘Whoa. There’s a world outside the Kokiri Forest. There’s an enemy that hates me – wants me dead – and he’s REAL.’ You see this, and things in your walk with Christ gets more difficult and repetitive. Things get almost boring… dull… repetitive. Yeah, you’re still a Christian, but that magic and wonder you felt when you first became one is gone, and things are getting tough. Really tough. You might be faced with the choice to step outside your comfort zone, and do something new (leave your own Kokiri forest), but you don't want to. It's comfortable where you're at. You're just going through the motions at this point. The magic is... gone.

Then, suddenly, you face your water temple.

That obstacle the Enemy has placed in your path that just seems… unconquerable. Impossible. You’re surrounded by demons that seem undefeatable. You’re surrounded by puzzles, doubts, and questions that just rattle your mind that you feel defenseless to solve. Everything is coming crashing down around you, and you don’t know what to do. You feel like you want to give up. In fact, a lot of people do. The water temples in our life can be tough, and some people can’t handle it.

But I’m here to tell you… don’t lose heart.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16

In Ocarina of Time, when you’re faced with the water temple, the temple you feel you cannot possibly solve on your own, there is something that can help you. There is a book, and it’s called the holy… Nintendo Player’s Guide. (Hahahaha)

The Guide

The Nintendo Player’s Guide is a book written by the Creator of the game itself (Nintendo) and is filled with advice, information, maps, encouragement, and is a guide made especially for the players to get them through the tough spots.

I’m sure you can see the parallel I’m painting, but I’ll state the obvious and say this: the Bible is the guide for us as Christians.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105

It shows us where to go, and it tells us what to do in our time of trouble. It is our map when we’re lost – it’s God’s love letter and gift to mankind so we always know what to do. When we face our water temples, the Bible is always there to tell us what to do. That’s why it’s so crucial to spend time with God and spend time in his Word daily.

In Zelda, though, even with the guide, it’s still a fight. But now that you know what to do, you only have to follow the guide, and eventually, you beat the Water Temple. You move onto the Shadow Temple, and beat that, too. You go to the Spirit Temple, and conquer that as well. You make it to the end, and you’re standing face to face with the enemy himself, who wants you DEAD because of the power given to you by the Almighty.

In Christianity, with your guide (the Bible, and God is our guide as well), you can beat your water temples. You can conquer them, and you can be victorious. You could try and beat the water temple by yourself, sure, but it’s hard, and you don’t have the strength or understanding to beat it.

That’s why we…

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.’ Proverbs 3:5-6

So, you defeat the Water temple, the Shadow temple, the Spirit temple, and in the end, there’s the final Showdown. But don't be afraid. Go ahead; read the back of the book. God wins. And so does everyone on his team, fighting for him.

In Zelda, it’s the power of the Triforce (which is interesting – our God exists as the Trinity), that ultimately defeats the wicked Gannondorf once and for all. Link sees the ending. It’s a beautiful world once again. It begins with a massive party featuring all the tribes of the world celebrating the defeat of the evil one. The kingdom of Hyrule is restored, finally, once again. There is no more darkness, no more pain, and no more evil. All is well.

The super amazing, wonderful news is that is what awaits the life of a Christian as well. In the end, the evil one is defeated. The kingdom is restored! And it all begins with a massive party – ‘the wedding feast of the lamb,’ as Revelation calls it. We’re reunited with our savior once more, and all is made right once more. Beauty is restored.

Think back to when you first beat Ocarina of Time, and you saw Gannondorf killed and sealed away, and that party play out on screen as the music played and the credits rolled. Remember how happy you were? That same feeling, that same victory, is made available to you, only amplified infinitely higher than the feeling of beating some old video game. YOU can be a part of that wedding feast.

'And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”' Revelation 19:9

All you have to do is keep following him. Stay in his word – do not lose heart! The end is coming, and when it’s all finished, because you didn’t give up, the Lord Jesus will look at you and say ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ and you will be welcomed in and… the party can begin.

Don’t give up! The 'Water Temples' in life seem huge and undefeatable, but you’ve been given a sword and a mission. With your Guide guiding you, you can fight and win this war. In the end, it’s all worth it.

So, thanks for reading my extremely nerdy, but, I think, spiritually meaningful post regarding the spiritual truths there are in 'Ocarina of Time.' Now, excuse me. My Nintendo 64 is calling.

-Matt