Over the past week and a half I have been busy hosting my nephew and niece (teens) visiting from the United States. We have enjoyed a trek in the Blue Mountains, have eaten some local fare, and even went beach fishing early this morning. it was cold and windy! My nephew had the joy of a kookaburra swiping a bit of sandwich from his mouth. I had one brush my chest as it swooped down to steal my pilchard as I was baiting the hook. I was very thankful one of big ganged hooks I use didn't catch him!
One thing I have grown familiar with is taking guests to some of the "touristy" spots. I highly recommend the free walking tour of Sydney and taking the ferry over to Manly for fish and chips. There aren't many surprises when riding the train or driving around town. But our walk past the Sydney Opera House was certainly memorable. Circular Quay is one of the most picturesque areas of Sydney with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, but very few people were taking pictures. They had phones alright, but they were using them for an entirely different purpose. Crowds of people were milling around and scanning their phones to find virtual monsters with the app "Pokemon Go." Hundreds of people in their 20's and 30's were completely engrossed in playing the game alone and others laughed with friends.
This struck me as most bizarre. There we stood at a world famous site, but it seemed the locals or tourists playing the game never paused to take in the beauty of the scene and the approaching sunset. The glorious evening didn't make the impact the game seemed to. In His dealings with human beings, I imagine God sees this sort of thing all the time. He has given us life, surrounded us with beauty, and speaks to us in many ways. Yet we can be so taken with a game, technology, a virtual world of social media, passing amusements, that we miss out on so much which would enrich our lives for eternity. God's grace is revealed that He lavishes beauty on those who are not looking for it and speaks to people who aren't listening. He continues to reach out to people He loves and provides opportunities for everyone to lift their eyes and see His glory.
It's crazy that "Pokemon Go" will become a "Pokemon god" for some, and like other gods it can never deliver in the end. Crazes and fads come and go, but God endures forever. Only God can do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or think - without server issues, malware, bugs, updates, and ads. It is ridiculous to compare the Living God to anything, but the truth remains we often settle for infinitely less than spending time with Him. Let us praise Him for His goodness towards us and the beauty of His holiness. How might your life change for good if spending time with Jesus became your latest craze?
One thing I have grown familiar with is taking guests to some of the "touristy" spots. I highly recommend the free walking tour of Sydney and taking the ferry over to Manly for fish and chips. There aren't many surprises when riding the train or driving around town. But our walk past the Sydney Opera House was certainly memorable. Circular Quay is one of the most picturesque areas of Sydney with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, but very few people were taking pictures. They had phones alright, but they were using them for an entirely different purpose. Crowds of people were milling around and scanning their phones to find virtual monsters with the app "Pokemon Go." Hundreds of people in their 20's and 30's were completely engrossed in playing the game alone and others laughed with friends.
This struck me as most bizarre. There we stood at a world famous site, but it seemed the locals or tourists playing the game never paused to take in the beauty of the scene and the approaching sunset. The glorious evening didn't make the impact the game seemed to. In His dealings with human beings, I imagine God sees this sort of thing all the time. He has given us life, surrounded us with beauty, and speaks to us in many ways. Yet we can be so taken with a game, technology, a virtual world of social media, passing amusements, that we miss out on so much which would enrich our lives for eternity. God's grace is revealed that He lavishes beauty on those who are not looking for it and speaks to people who aren't listening. He continues to reach out to people He loves and provides opportunities for everyone to lift their eyes and see His glory.
It's crazy that "Pokemon Go" will become a "Pokemon god" for some, and like other gods it can never deliver in the end. Crazes and fads come and go, but God endures forever. Only God can do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or think - without server issues, malware, bugs, updates, and ads. It is ridiculous to compare the Living God to anything, but the truth remains we often settle for infinitely less than spending time with Him. Let us praise Him for His goodness towards us and the beauty of His holiness. How might your life change for good if spending time with Jesus became your latest craze?
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