Between the Panels

A series that came out last year and was an enjoyable read has been  DC VS Vampires.   It was great for a couple of reasons.  First is that the DC Universe is working through the situation of a vampire empire being established and taking over the world (very interesting/intense). Second is that Green Arrow is one of the main people pushing the fight against the vampires (repping the Emerald Archer fanbase hard here!) Honestly though, what I have enjoyed the most out of this series is the  impending fear of being unsure of who has been bitten and turned; are there people on your side that you can truly trust?   This series has made me question every character at some point and the plot twist to see who was the head vampire really threw me in for a loop (trust me, you are going to want to read this series). What it reminded me of was Jesus' warning about wolves in sheep's clothing in  Matthew 7:15  "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as har...

If you have hung out with anyone who is into gaming in anyway, you have likely heard of the game Minecraft . It is a fantastical game of creativity! Gamers love the game's capacity to build amazing structures and worlds.  Some people have even built whole worlds from fantasy fiction such as Middle-Earth (Lord of the Rings) and Hogwarts (Harry Potter). However, if you are playing survival mode, there is an element of danger where you need to build a place of safety .  There is a lot of strategy in building these forts that are safe from enemies at night and are housing of goods/materials you need to live.  You need a strong foundation and safe location to last long in this game . Psalm 18:2 really emphasizes that God is the rock , the fortress , and the saviour in whom we are to find protection in; the one who keeps us safe.  Jesus shared how the Word of God is the rock that we build our faith on that stands strong in the midst of the difficulties of life ( Matthew...

Having kids and being a nerd are fuel for some really fun and crazy events in our home.  Just this weekend I was able to watch Teen Titans with my kiddos and we get quite invested in the characters.  My daughter in particular was moved emotionally when Raven was feeling powerless and on her own in one of the episodes.  More than just intense entertainment that my kids connect with, it stirs into the hearts of  kids' imagination and sense of wonder .  Mark, my son, loves Spider-Man! For a time his adoration of the wall crawling hero encouraged his imagination to create his own version of Spidey and would lead to awesome chats about what super powers he wished he had.  The cool thing about those chats is that it shows me a heart that sees a world of possibilities; a world of awe and wonder.  I know as a kid, and maybe more recently than that, if I found a cardboard tube, I almost always transformed into a Jedi with a lightsaber ready to battle an evil ...

So community , might seem like a very odd adjective to assign to a nerd.  After all, they are more known for being a bit different from everyone, which can lead to them being socially excluded.  However, there is a weird phenomena that can turn this isolation into community.  Though a nerd's interest may segregate them from others, it actually can be a catalyst to finding groups that are into their same interests.  That's the whole reason why things like comic conventions even exist! But within these comic conventions you see something beautiful happen, you see support and encouragement amongst nerds .  Now, these nerds could be representing different fan interests, but there is a comradery in it. "We are all passionate about different things, but lets be passionate about them together!" is the under written motto of these events. And it doesn't end there. With the blessing of everything being online, there is even more easy access to these kinds of communities...

If you have ever sat with a nerd on a long bus ride or even brought up a differing opinion to them, you have likely learned two things: they are passionate about what they are into and they are often very knowledgeable ! How do I know this? My wife (was one of my friends in youth at the time) made the mistake to ask me what the show Smallville was about (we were just starting a bus trip from Hamilton headed to Hanover: 2 hours long ). Let’s just say, she could have written a doctrinal thesis with the amount of info I gave her on that bus ride…. Any nerd typically has not just that one area of expertise, but a rather large library of information to refer to in their heads because they like to research to be experts in these things.   After all, if you are interested in something, wouldn’t you want to be the known expert in knowledge of it ? Biblically, there is a drive to be a person of expert; particularly in the Bible itself.  If you ever want to see the implications of how ...

Nerd is not a title to be feared anymore these days.  In fact to some, it is a badge of honour; even a level that is worth achieving.  I am personally proud to be called a nerd. That's right you can say it to my face and I won't cry; I might even give a heroic stance after you say it! But there are certain things that make a nerd, well... a nerd.  A major thing that sets them apart is there intense passion for their interest.  To a nerd, their interest is something that they are not simply enamoured by, it is the focus of their energy and free time.  Go to a comic convention and see how some of these nerds will wait in lines for hours dressed in costume for their fandom!  With such passion, these nerds at times can't help but go on rants on details to share what they are invested in to help you potentially get interested in it too.  If you have a nerd that does this, please take it as a compliment, as they are trying to invite you into their passion ...

Video gaming can and is in some ways an escape into another world.  This escape is not always a bad thing if you can regulate it or don't find your sense of value in it.  But what if you were so immersed into that you take some of that gaming world with you into the real world?  Confused yet? Kirito (main character from the anime series Sword Art Online ) was so immersed in this gaming world and was even locked in it (not of his own will), but helped other gamers work out some real world stuff while gaming with them.  Kirito acts like a bridge connecting the game world to the real world in helping fellow gamers face real threats in their life.  He is able to step between these two worlds and bring the aid that is need for the people who are calling for help. Peter was also a bridge to this world and what God was doing in the early church movement.  Acts 10 is all about Peter needing to adapt to something new that God was doing (ministry to the Gentiles)...