A Devotion for Video Games and Welcome Mats

Did you see the amazing television that aired on Sunday night? No, I’m not talking about the snoozefest that was supposed to be the Super Bowl. Nor am I referring to the halftime show (where Adam Levine appeared to be wearing a pattern pulled from his grandmother’s curtains).

No, I’m talking about the real star of the show: the commercials. It’s no secret that many (or most) Americans watch the Super Bowl at least in some part for the commercials that air throughout the four-hour sports spectacle. Every year, companies compete, paying a higher and higher premium for a 60 second or less chance to impact the audience over 100 million viewers.

Some are funny, many are silly, some pull on our heart strings, or inspire us with their storytelling.

This year was no different. Thanks to many companies leaking their commercials early, it was possible to view the commercials early, on YouTube or the companies’ own sites. However, nothing compares to watching the reactions trend live on social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. By the end of the night, many of my friends and acquaintances were all talking about one commercial in particular: Microsoft’s “We All Win” commercial.

If you haven’t seen it, or want a good midday cry, you can view it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YISTzpLXCY

The commercial highlights several young gamers with different physical abilities using Microsoft’s new adaptive controller to play the same games as their peers.

In the video’s description, the company writes, “When technology empowers each of us, it empowers all of us. This Super Bowl, follow the inspirational story of passionate young gamers rising to the top of their game with a little help from their friends, family and the Xbox Adaptive Controller. The story illustrates Microsoft’s commitment to building accessible technology that levels the playing field and creates opportunity for all of us.”

The ad ends with the tag line: “When everybody plays, we all win.” (Cue the sobbing).

Microsoft’s message in this ad is so powerful because it goes beyond just video game controllers. It’s about access, creating spaces where all people can participate, have fun, connect, and thrive.

Ideally, the world would be full of spaces like this. In a perfect world all places would be welcoming and adaptive to people of all backgrounds and abilities.

I see Microsoft’s ad not just as an inspiration, but also as a challenge – especially to the church. Do we see our role as Christians to include or exclude? Are our churches places where different and diverse people are able to participate? If not, what is holding us back from creating these types of spaces?

I think most of us would probably agree that we indeed want to create spaces of welcome and accessibility in our churches, our work, our homes and our lives. But how we do this sometimes remains a mystery to us.

Oftentimes, the first step of making others feel welcome in our churches and our lives is simply by taking the time to truly see and acknowledge people (especially people who often go unnoticed by society). Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus and his disciples doing this exact thing: the woman with bleeding that Jesus heals in Matthew 9, Peter and John who speak to and heal the man in Acts 3, and time and time again, Jesus extending the table to the tax collector, the harlot, the one who had sinned, and the one who has been forgotten.

Our work of disaster recovery begins with this first step of seeing. When we enter a home, or begin an intake, we are acknowledging the humanity and the need of the person who sits across from us. We are seeing them, and for some this may be a first, or the first time in a long time that they feel seen and known.

If Microsoft’s tag line could be translated through the lens of the gospel, perhaps “When everybody plays, we all win” sounds more like “When everyone is welcome, God’s kingdom is present.

Or, as Jesus says: “The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be—and experience—a blessing” (Luke 14:13 The Message).

When we create places of welcome, we not only imitate and initiate God’s gracious kingdom, but we also receive the gift of the presence of those who are different than us, people who reflect God’s image in ways we might not have experienced before.

So, let’s set out the welcome mat and keep creating places in our lives and work where all people feel welcomed, known, and loved.

Grace and peace,

Chaplain Amy