Well, the latest craze to take the nation and the world by storm is here. I know you have all been dying for the next big thing. The wait is finally over. I think this has taken all of the life cycle of a butterfly to turn into full-fledged hysteria. I know for me personally, I heard about it less than a week ago, and as of this morning it has over 100 million users. So not to be left in the technological dust storm that is Pokemon Go, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and explore all of the benefits of this new frenzy before it is cast onto the ash heap of discarded phone apps. The list is going to be extensive, but try to keep up.

First, I want to talk about the health benefits to the masses who are enthralled with catching or capturing or whatever it is you do with these Pokemon (or is it Pokemen when it’s plural?). Anyway. People are walking more. You can’t play this game sitting down. And that’s all I have for health benefits.

Next, I would like to talk about the sociological benefits. Well…I can’t think of any at the moment. Maybe we can come back to that before the hype is gone. Maybe not…we’ll have to hurry!

Perhaps we could talk about a spiritual awakening. Reports are surfacing all over the globe of a renewed interest in church attendance. People have been seen on campuses of churches across our nation that have never before darkened the doors of a church in their life. Could Pokemon lead to a new Great Awakening? It’s doubtful, but maybe while searching for a fictional character in a made-up world, someone might actually stumble across something that could give them real purpose in life. At least we can hope.

Maybe I’ve got a better idea. Maybe we should take the opportunities that exist in whatever location we may find ourselves in to be active. I’m not opposed to technology. My wife says I’m addicted to it and I suppose in many ways she’s right. But the more we allow ourselves to overlook the people and places that surround us the more we begin to resemble another phenomenon that has swept the nation-Zombies! Seriously people, we walk or sit around staring at a little minuscule screen like the walking dead.

It’s almost like we’re saying that real life lived with real people in real places is just too boring. We need something to occupy these hours of consciousness between sleep cycles. Let’s look at those three areas again with an emphasis on living this adventure we call life.

HEALTH BENEFITS

I propose that we go do something active. We can hike. We can run. We can bike. We can skydive…Okay, that one may take a little more time and preparation, but you get the idea. It doesn’t have to be boring. In a digital age of over-stimulation of all of our senses, it takes a little discipline to cultivate an appreciation of the complexities of the simple things. But the benefits are very rewarding.

My wife and I were walking the other evening. Nowhere glorious or fantastic. It was down the road by our house. A mile down and a mile back. A cornfield. A bean field. Another cornfield. A hayfield. But as we were walking there was a rustle in the grass along the road. SweetPea jumped. We jumped. Then up jumped a little white-tail fawn. And we watched silently as his stilt-like legs carried his spotted self off across the field as fast as they could go. A one of kind experience that we will carry with us for weeks, months, and probably years to come.

I know my boys will long remember the night they were over in the neighbor’s field exploring. Because they had nothing better to do, they decided to run on top of the hay bales. While they were attempting to see if they could make it from one end of the row of bales to the other without touching the ground, they happened upon this little one. I know it’s not a Ditto, but it’s still pretty rare.

SOCIOLOGICAL BENEFITS

One real problem that is developing in our country is a severe lack of communication. I’m talking about the kind of communication that can’t be accomplished through email or texting. I’m not even sure it can be accomplished on the phone. It’s something deeper than the social media façade we like to believe is the real us. Sometimes it doesn’t even involve words, it just involves time. Time taken to share a mutual experience with another human being. An effort put forth to show another person that they matter enough to us that we are willing to spend time with them and vice versa.

Maybe take your spouse on a long walk in the park where you can move past the forced pleasantries and engage in real conversation. Maybe just walk quietly enjoying the tranquility of the moment. Who knows, you might even spot a living, breathing, real-life squirrel!

Maybe we need to text our kids and ask them to join us for an early morning fishing trip. We might not find anything but a renewed appreciation for one another’s company, but it could be time well spent. You might even catch an honest-to-goodness fish that could provide real nourishment to your actual physical bodies.

SPIRITUAL BENEFITS

No matter what your spiritual belief, the benefits of engaging in physical activity in an outdoor setting is undeniable. Maybe you choose to sit in solitude and wonder at the beauty of the sunset. You just might find that renewal of spirit and soul for which we all long. Maybe in the array of colors that cannot begin to be captured by anything other than the human eye, your Creator can minister healing to your soul. “Be still and know that I am God”. Ps 46:10

Seriously, have fun with your game for ten minutes or so. Then put it down and engage in real life. Find an outside adventure and someone to share it with. It will last so much longer and reap so many more benefits.

Get out and do,
Mike