Every now and then, someone from my generation will randomly blurt out “I just lost The Game.” The Game is a so-called “mind virus.” The rules of the game are as follows:
Rule 1: You are playing The Game.
Rule 2: Every time you think about The Game, you lose.
Rule 3: Loss of The Game must be announced.
Yes, you have just been infected with a mind virus. You’re welcome. (You also just lost the game.) But now I’m about to set you free with a cartoon from xkcd.
So what does this have to do with morality? Funny you should ask.
There are some people who have been playing the game for a very long time, and losing the game for just as long. When they landed on this xkcd strip, they were set free the instant they believed that Randall Munroe had the power and authority to allow them to win.
This is how Christianity works, too. We’re all playing “The Game” of getting ourselves right with God. And every time we think about it, we lose. The instant you realize God calls you not to covet, all of a sudden you start coveting stuff (to borrow from the Apostle Paul)! In short, we lose the game! Then all of a sudden Jesus shows up and dies for our sins and wins the game for us, and if you just have the nerve to believe the absurdity, you’re saved already!
The gospel is an xkcd cartoon.
About David M Schell
I am a doubter and a believer. I have a Master's in Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, but because faith grows and changes, I don't necessarily stand by everything I've ever written, so if you see something troubling further back, please ask! Read More.
