This week I will be making, by far, my most “nerdy” illustration. Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. A big phenomenon among today’s youth (and youthful gray haired folks like myself) are various games based on obtaining a collection of cards, toys, or electronic monsters. Some of the more popular games in this category are Yu-Gi-Oh!, HeroClix, Magic: The Gathering, and Pokemon. An insurmountable sum of time and money is spent purchasing, trading, and competing in these games. Tournaments and other events based on them are held throughout the world.
The one game in this collectable category that’s always gripped my brother and I is referred to as “Pokemon”. In the Pokemon video games, the player catches and battles with various creatures on his or her way to become the best “Pokemon trainer” in the game’s world. The games use an ingenious paper/rock/scissors system. For example, a Pokemon creature that uses fire can be bested in competition by a creature that spews water. In order to win battles against one’s opponent either in the game or in person, one must have a team of creatures that is diverse and skilled in the various elements.
Kids have been enthusiastic about collecting for centuries. When it comes to various virtues and attitudes detailed in scripture, kids (and adults) can be a little less zealous. There are various lists in scripture including the definition of love in 1 Cor. 13, the components of the “full armor of God” in Eph. 6, and the qualities of a Christian in 2 Peter 1. You can see that God (and the Bible’s writers) is very thorough. He wants us to have the “collect them all” mentality. There is always some facet of ourselves that we need to be working on. If we exclude parts of God’s commands, we are left vulnerable and unbalanced. Only through self-examination and training can we resist Satan.
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