The Game of Life

Thursday was a day of thanksgiving, and by later that evening I was especially thankful for one of those few remaining evenings when our whole family gathered around the table to play a game. Another thankful moment was that it was suggested by my 17 year old. But we settled on "The Game of Life" and it wasn't only entertaining, it was educational too.

Yes, there was lots of laughter about "inside" family jokes and some new ones were made [i.e. Noah setting his plate of pumpkin pie on the game board and proudly declaring it as "The Life of Pi(e)"] but most of all I became thankfully aware that God was using the experience as a teachable moment for me. Although, I have to admit that my family probably wasn't quite as thankful that I was sharing some of these revelations with them.

Here are some of the lessons I learned:

• Everything in our culture conditions us to follow the "norm". I don't know who established this "norm" (probably someone named Norm!), but whomever he was...it even pervades the very games we play.
• Like...you don't even get a choice about your mode of transportation. You just have to travel in a car. They've even become updated over the years so that now, in this "Game of Life" you travel in a minivan. Nevermind, that they are gas guzzlers...not eco-friendly...and are completely foreign modes of transportation to about eight-tenths of the world's 6-7 billion population. No, there is no option for a bicycle, moped or the more traditional "hoofing it".
• You are given the option to go to college or immediately start your career. But wait...all of the "good" (high paying) jobs are only available to the college-bound crew. Yes, you do have to borrow $40,000 to go (which is remarkably low nowadays!) but there is no trade school option or recognition that plumbers, electricians, carpenters and the like are the fastest growing skills set of millionaires in the working field today and with over 50% of the current workforce retiring within the next 20 years or less...will soon be in very high demand. This is in stark contrast to the every-increasing number of college graduates that are unable to find employment in their fields of undergraduate study. Hmmm? Don't think Hasbro has considered this.
• Then there's the option of marriage. Yep...you don't get to choose. In "The Game of Life" singleness is not an option. Now, I'm willing to acknowledge as a former tax preparer that there are financial benefits to being married. But in my idea of a non-psychological-brainwashing version of the game, you would at least have the option of whether to marry or not. Yes, there would be different tax rates to pay given your marital status...but at least you'd have the option.
• There's also no divorce space on the board where you only get to keep the kids for half of your turns and you have to pay half of your salary in child support or alimony. I realize this isn't a "fun" version of the game...but it is reality for more than half of the families that are marketed for playing this game. Noah's "person" kept accidentally falling out of his car as he traveled through his "Life". I kept joking that his spouse must have kicked him out and needed to separate for awhile.
• You also don't get to choose whether to have kids or not. It's just a random spin of the wheel and if you land on a "kid space" you get them...no questions asked. So obviously, someone...somewhere...felt like having children was just a lucky "spin of the (proverbially) wheel". I really think we need to stop looking at marriage and children as the only healthy lifestyle. I mean, I'm married...and I have kids...and I love all five in my family very much and would even give my life for them...but God teaches us that single people and childless people have great value to our society and His mission too. From day one I have said to our kids, "If you get married" and "If you have children"...I never...ever...wanted them to feel compelled just because it's the thing that's expected. Yet, our culture conditions us to think these lifestyle choices are odd.
• So because children are just a lucky "spin of the wheel"...some people that you wouldn't expect to have or want a lot of kids (like one of my children!) has six or eight every time they play. Let's just say that the one who has the least patience for children (just like me) will be having the most kids if this is any sort of "omen". I too have the most kids out of my siblings...go figure?
• And some people have to pay $5000 for a new nursery and then have to take the extended "family" option because, "I am not going to pay that much for a nursery and then not have any kids!" I know...humorous...but I sort of thought of the extended family option as this daughter's "infertility" detour. Yes, she ended up with a child...but it slowed her down a little.
• In this American version of "The Game of Life", there is no option about buying a house either. Yes...everyone has to purchase a home. There is no rental option, nor opportunity to live in a communal setting and share expenses.
• As if being stripped of your option to become a property owner isn't enough...about two-thirds of the way through "The Game of Life", you have to upgrade from your starter home to your home. Yes...the cards literally are called "Starter House" and "House". Now, in all fairness, you do receive an increase in the sale of your starter home over the price paid (which is not accurate to the current market in the U.S.), but you're never given an option to downsize or keep the "Starter".
• Also, sometimes it seems like there's no rhyme or reason why some people get the good job, the fancy house and retire with lots of money...while others don't make much money, live in a mobile home and don't have much option for a pay increase. Funny...as the doctor, in the mansion, with no kids...I quickly became the target of all lawsuits...but if Dale...the $20,000 a year salesman that lived in the mobile home...had to pay out any money, we all said, "Ahhh...poor Dad."
• And that's another thing...lawsuits...really? Our litigiously (that is a word, right?) happy culture had to add multiple options for lawsuits to its "Game of Life"? My kids were just itching to land on a lawsuit space. All I could do was shake my head in amazement at how far we humans have strayed. There was no reason given...just a chance to sue. As the recipient of this madness, I decided being the doctor it must have been for malpractice. The tide of lawsuits changed to Leah when we discovered this crafty little nine year old was conveniently hiding all of her big money under her little bills. Yes...she is that smart.
• Lastly, there's always "this guy" who seems to have all the luck. In our "Game of Life", it was Noah. He won the "singing idol contest" right after I did. He won another game show right after Abbey did and then he discovered buried treasure right after Dale. Again, no strategy...it's just the luck of "the spin"

Probably my biggest revelation came at the end, when you sell your house, count your cash and see exactly who wins this "Game of Life". Apparently, it's the player who retires with the most money. But another American-programming/comment-on-our-culture was that evidently..."The Game of Life" ends at retirement.

I don't know about you...but I don't want to stop living at 60...65...or even 70 or beyond. As long as God allows there to be breath in my lungs...I still want to travel, meet people, share God's Love with anyone that will listen and serve the God who created me. I guess that's not work...but it's still "Life".

How do I apply all of these mini-lessons into something I can carry with me? First of all, that our world is just crazy with expectations of how we should live and if for any reason you stray outside of that pre-formed mold...there must be something wrong with you. I think I'll continue to dare to be different.

The other thing is just how deeply these ideas are rooted into our culture. I mean, for pete's sake...this is a game and it just screams of the "American Dream". Today, I heard a great sermon where the speaker said he's learning that the goal in life should be to "die empty". It reminded me of a quote I have read several times from the 18th century preacher John Wesley. "[When I die] if I leave behind me ten pounds...you and all mankind [may] bear witness against me, that I have lived and died a thief and a robber."

Jesus said repeatedly, the first shall be last...the greatest shall be the least. James (inspired by his half-brother Jesus) adds that we should honor the poor and remember that they are the ones that are rich in faith. So here's what I'm thinking: Let's create a "Biblical Game of Life"

In this version you have more choices and sometimes you'll even miss a turn or two while you wait for the wisdom from God about which choice to make. You'll also always have enough money to provide the necessities for yourself and your family, and when you give away the extra...you'll receive some little gold crowns. Actually, every space you land on and have opportunity to give, serve or love someone, you earn more crowns. Sometimes, if one of your fellow players doesn't have enough to cover their expenses...helping them out earns you a few crowns too.

Then, the game doesn't end at "Millionaire Acres" but rather at a tombstone where whomever dies with the smallest amount of cash wins an extra five crowns. The winner? Well, there isn't one. After all...this is the "Biblical Game of Life" and while it's great to have a lot of crowns...the total doesn't really matter because you're just going to throw them at the feet of Jesus anyway. But that's alright...because if you've read the Instruction Book...you already know He's going to win...and I'm okay with that!