So, I have some Wordpress blogs I guess i need to consolidate? One of those is a blog on tabletop issues.
I wrote this essay on role play, tabletops, and a bit of perspective.
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So, when I was a kid, I played a lot of role playing games. I roleplayed in chat rooms, and then in high school I started playing Shadow Run and later D&D.
Is roleplay harmless? I'm not so sure. Whenever I'd game, my mom would ask, "What's so bad about your life that you have to escape?"
I could never give her a solid answer, but there was a pain in my heart, even after salvation, that was difficult to pin down.
Fast forward about 20 years. God taught me that He made me as he saw fit. I was able to see more of my good qualities. Not exactly the cliche of loving myself. But I didn't see the need to role play. I was content with who I am.
I can see myself playing RPGs, but maybe.. playing a character a lot like myself?
My point is, that when you have a relationship with God/Christ, you leave things behind, eventually, that you needed before. I still have my books, and I would occasionally like to play because of the nostalgia.
But I'm not the same. The reason I don't like D&D? Is because I played it every summer and Christmas vacation during college. Our group rebooted our characters to level 1 each time I came home. I grew to hate it. I still don't like it to this day, although it has little to do with the game itself.
Every tabletop has its problems. And every gamer/RPer has their problems. I'm not saying Christians shouldn't play. But when you love that fantasy more than your real life, you're in a dangerous place.
Our lives aren't perfect. Many days are what some consider boring. But would you really prefer a world where every day you're fighting for your life? Where you're at the mercy of dragons and unbalanced wizards and your idea of fun is looting ruins, tombs, and underground areas designed to harm you?
And isn't that ingratitude? We have so much to be thankful for. Let's not spend our lives dreaming things that can never be. Let's spend them for God, His glory, and the welfare of other humans, who are all made in God's image. A little imagination is healthy, but too much and you can tend toward imbalance and even mental illness.
I don't think you need to give up on games. Just don't make it the focus of your life, or the highlight of every week. Believe me, at some level I'm preaching to myself as well.
Remember what the bible says, "The sorrow of those will increase who chase after other gods,'
At some point you have to put the game back in the box, clean off the table, put your materials up, and go to bed. After all, you’ve got to work in the morning. And really? Nothing in your real life has really changed as a result of the game.