This Pokemon Go thing is nuts! I don’t mean that in terms of mentally unbalanced (though there are certainly those who would be with me on that assessment). I mean that in terms of how it has taken over the world.
This smartphone game app, released on July 6, 2016, hit 100 million downloads by August 1, is played over 30 minutes a day by the average iOS user, is used daily by over 23 million people in the US, and is generating more than $10 million in revenue per day.
This reminds me, albeit on an even larger scale, of the Angry Birds craze from a few years ago. In the height of the hoopla over that one, I wrote a post pondering the Angry Birds phenomenon.
I have never been much into video games, even back when all my friends were popping their quarters into the machine to play Pac-Man and Asteroids at the 7-Eleven, so I just kind of notice things that are going on in the world, ponder them, and offer some commentary. Here’s a little trip down the Angry Birds memory lane as my pondering led me to think about the non-gaming version of Angry Birds—that is to say, the Angry Birds we often encounter (and sometimes become) in life.
I first thought about the Mocking Birds. You know them. They have a remark for every situation. They are experts at making others feel small and insignificant. They know how to point out how people are inferior or unusual. They notice weaknesses in others and know how to exploit it to their own advantage. They love to offer “constructive” criticism and never seem to notice how rarely it is genuinely constructive.
Then I thought about the Birds of Prey (I hesitate to use the word “vultures” but that is probably an appropriate label). These birds go beyond simply mocking. They actually feast on the wounded. They can be mean-spirited for the sake of being mean-spirited. They sometimes even enjoy seeing others in pain. They may even find justification for how someone else “deserves” the pain that they have experienced. Their criticism has no constructive agenda; they just like to “put people in their place.”
Then I thought about the Hummingbirds. They seem so busy. They flit from bloom to bloom and make a lot of noise, never really causing harm, but not really staying in one place long enough to do any good. Once the sweet nectar of a situation becomes depleted, they zoom off to find the next “happy place.” They don’t really mock or prey on the misfortune of others; they just don’t hang around long enough to notice.
You notice that I keep using the word “they.” I wish it were always “they” and “them” who act like Angry Birds, but I am afraid it is sometimes “me” and “we.” So, what are we to do?
Here’s my suggestion for all of us: how about trying to be Songbirds? I’m not just talking about those with a musical talent. You may have a voice like a raven. When you sing, those close to you may plead that you do it nevermore. (Ancient video game references AND Edgar Allan Poe references in the same post!) But, how about letting our lives, our words, our attitudes, and our actions “sing?” How about “singing” over the wounded and weary? How about helping those around us to see and experience the beauty of a life that matters to God?
Psalm 150 says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
Are you breathing? Let’s tune up and “sing”.
