Video gaming Christians: it’s time to put your faith where your controller is

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – A new book is set to encourage and challenge followers of Jesus through video and computer games. Press Upwards is a devotional using 50 of the most popular video and computer games to draw out Biblical truths and inspiration.

From Minesweeper to Mario Kart, Pong to Prince of Persia, Tetris to Tomb Raider, Press Upwards explores themes such as scripture, forgiveness, faith, prayer, love, endurance, temptation and more.

The easy-to-read devotionals are short enough to spark curiosity from a casual glance, and just long enough to stir the conscience. With an ideal mix of classic retro titles (think: PAC-Man, Galaga, Pitfall!, Lemmings) through to more current mega-hits like Fortnite and Minecraft, the book contains devotions to pique the interest for gamers from all walks of life.

And while games may be the “hook”, at the heart of the book is an adherence to scripture and the amazing story of love God has for the world, as shown through His son, Jesus.

Each devotion is thought-provoking and easy to digest, with a dash of humour (and the occasional gamer in-joke) thrown in as well. The end of each devotional includes a key Bible verse, plus other recommended reading verses to look up.

Press Upwards is not just ideal for personal reflection times but can also be used to stimulate small group discussion, Bible studies, conversation starters and even youth group or kids club talks.

The need

According to Australia’s Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA), 91 per cent of Australian households own a video game device. In the United States, the Entertainment Software Association says 61 per cent of the US population reports playing video games for at least one hour every week, with 190.6 million Americans aged between five and 90 playing games.

And don’t think video games are just for the teenager; plenty of middle-aged to elderly players, both male and female, have a sneaky copy of Candy Crush Saga, Solitaire or Wordle stashed on their phones, ready to tap away at when a spare moment arises.

(According to the IGEA, 42 per cent of those aged 65 and over identify as gamers.)

No doubt there would be Christians within these statistics, however it also stands as a potentially huge mission field for the many unreached players.

The author

Press Upwards has been a labour of love for Australian author, Ashley Walmsley.

Ashley has been a journalist for more than 20 years and has played video games for even longer than that. He doesn’t have a cool, edgy online username (his occasional use of EmuWalker doesn’t exactly capture the imagination) but he has spent a lot of time in front of screens aiming for the next level, collecting rings, defending backyards from zombies and upgrading vehicles.

“Some of my cherished childhood memories are connected to video games,” Ashley said.

“I suspect that would be the case for many people.”

Generations are coming through now that grew up with a controller in their hand; they’ve always known or had a console or system.There’s an opportunity there to use that pastime to drive those players deeper into God’s Word.

“Like the radio, comic books and television before them, video games have copped a bad wrap in how they can affect behaviour or infiltrate thinking. And yes, we have to be careful what we play and how much we play it, but games can also be used to remind us to open our Bibles more often.”

Still playing

As the responsibilities of being a grown-up make gaming time a little thinner these days, Ashley has found a renewed purpose (and let’s face it, an excuse) to enjoy games even more by sharing them with his three children. “It dawned on me one day that I’d never actually thrown out a video game system,” he said. “Consequently I have a collection of consoles and games stored away.

“From my original Sega Master II, with Alex Kidd in Miracle World built-in of course, through to the Nintendo Switch housing Super Mario Bros. Wonder today. It got me thinking that perhaps there was a bigger purpose to me putting in those hours of controller mashing, that could perhaps further God’s kingdom.”

The list of games is sure to create goodtime (or maybe frustration) flashbacks for older gamers who stood at arcade machines in the local fish and chip shop, and at the same time draw the attention of modern, younger gamers who may never have looked at their particular favourite title in that way. For instance, the tower-defence style game Age of Empires can provide a snapshot of what it must be like to be an overall creator, watching on and caring for a tribe.

Would a player be willing to become one of the digital characters in order to save them and show them a better way, just like Jesus did for the world? Or could Pokemon Go players who are out there hunting, seeking and looking, tell us about man’s longing for something deeper, to connect with others and a divine creator?

“Hopefully it will open up some spiritual discussions as readers flick through and lock onto a game they used to play, and share that with their family and friends,” he said. “Then there is the outreach potential of the medium.

“While it may not always be easy to strike up a conversation about Jesus, drumming up a chat over a video game can be an accessible in-road.”

Ashley is an elder at Oakwood Community Church in the agricultural town of Bundaberg, in regional Queensland. He can remember the family receiving an Atari 2600 (well, a clone brand of one) and being mesmerised by the pixelated wonder of Dragon Attack.

Ashley has also dabbled in stand up comedy, finishing runner-up in the 2009 Triple J Raw Comedy Awards in Melbourne.

Since then, he’s done performances at various functions over the years and helped MC conferences as well. His loving and long-suffering wife Pauline tolerates his occasional gaming sessions. Press Upwards, published by Ark House, is now available globally.

For more information, contact:

Ashley Walmsley
0407 652 149
pressupwards@gmail.com