Angry Birds

Ok. I admit it. I enjoy playing the game “Angry Birds.” I’m not going to say that I’m addicted to the game, but I am certainly attached to it!

“Angry Birds,” for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, is a game where the premise is that the pigs stole the eggs of the birds, and now the birds, who are justifiably angry, are seeking revenge (and, I assume, the return of their eggs).

The game is set up this way: in each level (progressively becoming more and more difficult to solve), there are several of the offending pigs in bunkers, which are constructed with various materials including wood, glass, steel, and rock. The birds line up behind a slingshot and you, the player, determine by the angle of the slingshot where the bird will land, knocking himself silly while, hopefully, destroying all or part of the protective bunker, eventually obliterating the pig. As the game progresses, different birds with different attributes or skill sets are added to the mix of birds offered to complete the level. Some of the varieties divide into three, some drop eggs which act like bombs, some actually become bombs, some hurl themselves at the target like a kamikaze. You get the idea.

While praying this morning about Jesus’ words, “…and the gates of Hell will not prevail against [you],” I was reminded that  Jesus is implying by these words that we are to go after those gates, tear them down, and rescue the captives held within. We are in no danger of those gates coming after us; that’s not what Jesus is talking about at all!

The captives referred to here are those who are living under the influence of the lies of the enemy and walking in a life that is less than the abundant life Jesus died to provide for us; anyone who lives in the grip of the enemy in any way. We are called to become an army who, working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, actively overtakes the enemy and brings the captives out.

The connections to “Angry Birds” are these:

• Our calling is to “hurl” ourselves at the gates of Hell – under the direction and initiative of the Holy Spirit. In that, we are fulfilling our destiny.
• It takes a village. Each type of bird has different gifts, and each gift, or skill set, is designed to accomplish a certain part of the task of breaking down all the bunkers. Each of us has been given certain gifts. No one of us is assigned or expected to tear down the gates of Hell on our own. We are a “village,” and together we have the promise that those gates will not prevail.
• The enemy is clever about erecting barriers and bunkers to prevent the rescue of the captives, or, in the case of “Angry Birds,” to prevent the demolition of the pigs. Nevertheless, we have the infinite cleverness of the Lord on our side, and the enemy is no match for Him. As we work in His power and under His authority, we have nothing to fear.

There are probably more parallels, but this will do for a start, and you can take it from here.

~Judy

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