Lent 2017

Last year, for Lent, I took a break from all video games. This year, Lent starts tomorrow (March 1), and I'm going to be taking a break from Twitter and sports radio. (warning: religious content contained herein!)

Now, why Lent? As most of you know, I'm a Christian. I believe there is a God who made everything, and that this God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. He did this to save us from the sin and brokenness that plagues all of us - because he loves us (John 3:16). Though I try not to flaunt this before people or shove it in your face, this faith informs most of who I am and what I do. Lent is a traditional time for Christians to pause and fast from something to reflect on the upcoming Easter season, which celebrates the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Though by no means is this a requirement of my faith (in fact, I dare say there are no requirements beyond belief - John 6:29: "the work of God is this, to believe in the one he has sent"), it is a season to recognize and reorient. None of this is popular to talk about in this setting, and I'm not looking to start a religious debate, but there you have it.

People have observed this time in many different ways throughout history - some choosing to fast from certain foods, partake in certain devotions - stuff like that. The general theme of fasting (or, taking a break from) things tends to be persistent though. I don't want to do something just to check some random religious box, though. I want to do it intentionally, and because I see the value in it and ways that God can use it to help me grow.

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So anyways, why these things? Firstly, Twitter. I hesitate to step away from this because in many ways, it's about relationships. It's about people, and friendships, and I don't like stepping away from that. But for every great interaction I have on Twitter, I find something that frustrates me. There is so much anger, negativity, and just general nonsense on Twitter that sometimes it's hard to filter through and find those worthwhile things. The current political climate just exacerbates this to the extreme, and people on all sides of things are just so hostile to each other that it can be hard to take a breath. Pretty much all of you who are gonna read this don't really contribute to that, and it's mostly not in my feed, but it's hard to not click on the trending topics and just get upset.

And that's really the thing - it comes down to noise. I don't like how I've gotten to the point where I'm constantly pulling out my phone to check what's happening on Twitter. My attention span has definitely been reduced, and I'll even find myself looking at my phone during meals, in meetings, or just when being around my kids. And that's not good. I'll open Twitter, click on a hashtag, and end up wasting 5 minutes on something I don't care about in the big picture - usually something that leaves me in a worse mood than when I started. And that's not good. I need to break that habit. Lent, in a lot of ways, is about removing noise from our lives. About re-orienting on the bigger picture. And that's why I think stepping off of social media for a few weeks will be really good for me.

Sports radio is much of the same. It's just mindless drivel, yet I listen to it all the time in the car. Much like Twitter, I find myself listening to stuff I really don't care about in the big picture, and getting emotionally worked up about it. Even when I don't want to listen, I turn it on anyway. It's almost like an addiction - just filling my head with noise. Turning that time into either prayerful silence or music that encourages me will be much more valuable, and in the spirit of Lent.

Why not fast from video games again? Well, I don't think they're causing the amount of "noise" in my life that they were last year. I also don't think that removing those really did much to help me re-focus spiritually. I find myself much more distracted by the two things I mention above.

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Now, I'm not disappearing! This just means I won't be responding to Twitter messages or seeing notifications after tomorrow. I'll still be around streaming on Twitch, and if you need to get ahold of me, you can do so there, through Discord, or through YouTube.

As for that streaming, plan on seeing more DKC for the next few weeks - working towards another 306% run by the end of the month. Casually, I'll be finishing up FFXV and getting Breath of the Wild (for Wii U), as well as playing through The Last of Us with my wife. By the time I'm back, Yooka-Laylee will be coming out.

I'm a little bit sad I won't be able to share in the initial reactions to Breath of the Wild and Switch with all of you (not to mention the SGDQ submissions and games list reveal) - but if it's not a sacrifice, then it's not really a fast. My identity isn't wrapped up in what others are saying or doing, so I don't have to worry that I'm missing out. (FOMO isn't good for you, ya know)

God bless! Hope to see you on the other side of Easter! Take care!