I had a marathon day on Saturday.
Not a marathon day like a number of my friends who ran in an actual marathon on Sunday in support of World Vision.
But a marathon day nonetheless.
On Saturday I watched sports for eight straight hours. I watched the Saints and the 49ers. I watched the Broncos and the Patriots. I watched the Lakers and the Clippers.
It wasn’t the nerdiest of marathon days and it definitely didn’t do much to draw me closer to Jesus. In light of that, here are some nerdy marathons that could draw you closer to Jesus.
Lord of the Rings
I have a friend who did an all-nighter for his youth group where they watched all three extended editions of The Lord of the Rings. As a giant nerd and youth pastor, that seems like one of the greatest youth group events ever. This marathon would require well over 9 hours but, by the end, you would better understand the destructive power of sin, the need for fellowship and the importance of caring for God’s creation. However, by the end of this marathon, you still wouldn’t know why Aragorn didn’t take his ghost army to Mordor, why the eagles didn’t fly Frodo to Mt. Doom in the first place and whether or not Elves go to heaven on a boat.
Bible Reading
A lot of nerds start reading their favorite novel and may not even stop to eat or sleep. Most of us have read a book that we just couldn’t put down and everything else in our lives seemed to take a back seat to the words on the page. If we applied that same marathon-like fervor to the Bible, then we would undoubtedly see some amazing fruit. Unfortunately, the only time that we ever really spend that much time in the Bible is when we’re trying to catch up on our reading plan. When I was in high school I used the One Year Bible. I was two weeks behind and, on New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, I spent my night in a marathon reading session catching up before the clock struck midnight.
Halo/Call of Duty
A big part of our lives with Jesus involves stitching them to the lives of others. I know that can take place in small groups, over a cup of coffee and working together on a mission trip. Some of the best Christian bonding I’ve ever had, though, took place with a controller in my hand and pizza in my stomach. Halo nights and Call of Duty parties are a great way to really get to know other people because you get to see them in pressure-packed competitive environments. What better opportunity to show someone the love of Christ than when they just stuck you with a plasma grenade and won the match for their team?
Marathons of various kinds can be good for the body, mind and soul. If we choose to dedicate that much time to something other than sleep, we should make sure that it will produce something of value.
I just need to figure out something valuable produced by a Skyrim marathon.
What other nerdy marathons can be good for your soul?
I appreciate your sharing your experience of Bible reading. Mine has been somewhat different. I have tried several reading plans, but have never been able to carry one through successfully; and whenver I considered the idea of “marathon reading” to catch up, I always resented it.
Somewhere along the line, I decided to still follow plans (I follow a daily lectionary these days), but not to worry if I “miss.” I simply pick up again as soon as I can. For myself, I find taking the time with the texts in front of me is more beneficial than making sure I’ve “caught up.” (On my best days, anyway — of course, sometimes I skim over a short passage just as much as I might a long one, more’s the shame!)
Is that where frado went with the elves?