(Co-creator of Geek Devotions)
Seven Years ago, Celeste and I sat in line at the very first Geek’d Con in Shreveport, Louisiana. We were excited beyond belief. This would be the very first time we had ever gone to a convention specifically for geeks and nerds. I still remember the awe we experienced we first walked onto the con floor—booths everywhere with various vendors, artists, voice actors, and actors. I loved meeting cosplayers and seeing them light up when their cosplay was recognized and complimented. It was a fantastic experience.
A passion and calling rose in Celeste and me on that con floor. You see, standing outside of the con were a group of, hopefully well-meaning, street preachers yelling and arguing with congoers. These were not actions that brought freedom; instead became a stumbling block to the Gospel. People who at first only thought that God hated them were now sure. People who only thought the church was full of angry, unloving individuals were now sure of it. On the con floor, Celeste and I saw the hurting, the broken, and the hopeless. Celeste and I saw people who needed to know that they were loved, that they are loved, and that there is, in fact, a plan and purpose for their lives. They simply needed folks who knew how to speak the language—a language beyond the spoken word, a language of action.
Seven Years Later
From that day forward, we began praying and pondering how we could serve geek culture. We began to examine the tools in our hands. We knew the language. But how would we execute it? Then in August 2016, we launched Geek Devotions. A YouTube show that produced weekly devotionals based on Geek Culture and other media that reached into Geek Culture, letting them know that they were loved. Six years later, Geek Devotions has grown. Our YouTube channel grows daily, and we host Play and Prays on Twitch weekly. We regularly produce reviews, Christian Living articles, and written devotionals on our website. We produce four different podcasts that speak to Geek Culture in various ways. We host in-person gatherings for Geeks to fellowship and encourage each other. Celeste and I are even looking to make ourselves available to come to speak at churches and conferences (contact us for more information on that).
This past weekend, we not only had a booth on the very same con floor that this passion was birthed, but we hosted a panel where we discussed balancing faith and geekdom and explained our approach to reaching the lost. We had the opportunity to pray with individuals, encourage those struggling with depression and anxiety, and be a place of hope and encouragement for those walking the floor. Over and over, we heard people thanking our team and us for being present. People who weren’t believers thanked us for being different from what was outside. Vendors left encouraged and challenged because of the presence of our team.
The Point
I want to encourage you in this. God does have a calling in your life. There’s a misconception that doing ministry means you do so in the typical church environment. That if people aren’t coming to your church, then ministry is you sitting at a corner screaming and yelling at people that they are doomed and going to hell. Yes, there is a place for vocational ministry in a church. There is a place for street preaching (though methods may need to be discussed). But often, the most influential ministry that God calls you to involves the langue you already speak and the tools in your hands.
A great example is the Apostle Paul. The man was trained and well versed in Jewish Law and culture. At the same time, he was a Roman Citizen who understood and spoke gentile culture and language. On top of that, he was a tent maker. Yes, there were times that he preached in the streets; but most likely, his ministry took place while making tents; doing life with others. He knew how to approach the Jews, and he knew how to approach the gentile. He took the language he knew and the tools in his hands to change the world.
What’s in your hands? What language do you speak? Identify those things and ask God, “Lord, what would you have me do with the things you’ve given me?”
Related Article: Christians at Comic Con?