Connecting Minecraft With Christ

Earlier this year, I joined the FaithTech community, whose purpose is to "help people in the tech ecosystem find community and steward their skills to glorify God." They are doing great work, so please go check them out.

This week, a question was posed on their Slack group. It was inspired by a 2013 article by Simon Parkin concerning the success of Minecraft. The question was:

How do faith and Minecraft connect? Are there insights from our understanding as Christians or from scripture that could give insight?

I thought it was a great question and deserved more than a few-sentence reply. So, I have decided to delay the post I planned to write and answer the question. 

Whether consciously or intuitively, Notch designed a low-fi sandbox that resonates with God's creation in ways that helped catapult it to the best-selling game of all time. Here are nine game design ideas where Minecraft connects with faith.

1) Created to Create

In the first chapter of Genesis, we learn that this world has a Creator, and man and woman were uniquely created in His image. Being made in the Creator's image means that the desire to create is woven into our DNA. In verse 28 of Chapter 1, God tells Adam and Eve that their desire to create is not only okay, but He directs them to carry it out. 

This desire to create and cultivate is the heart of both Minecraft and the human experience. To use the language of Tolkien, we are subcreators in this world, and through our work of creating, we not only make the world a better, more beautiful place, but we reveal truths about our Creator in the process. 

2) Dominion

Closely related to our call to create is the appointment we have received. In verses 28-30 of Genesis 1, God gives humanity dominion over their environment. It's a subtle point and easy to skip past, but we would not have agency in this world without being given this authority.

In Minecraft, there is a clear, direct feedback loop created from the actions in the game. Break blocks, collect the materials to place new blocks or combine various materials to craft items. It's our world simplified. 

When considering the popularity of Minecraft, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of the simplicity and immediacy of this loop. In a world that often feels complex, confusing, and obtuse, Minecraft cuts through all that—no longer do you need to be clever, wealthy, famous, or powerful to leave your mark on the world. Anyone can make a difference in a Minecraft world. A young child can make just as much impact as an adult.

3) Fields of Grace

I once heard a pastor describe God's will as this wide-open field with a hedge around it. Minecraft's open-world sandbox design feels like that picture.

The beauty of sandbox games is that you can tell your own stories at your own pace. There is no one heavy-handed narrative trying to move you along to advance the story. You have the grace and freedom to explore and make choices on your own. All of which points to the trust and love of an invisible designer towards his creation.

4) Hidden Treasure

A reoccurring picture in the Bible is that of a hidden treasure. Mathew 13:44 compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field. 

Proverbs 2:4-5 instructs us to search for wisdom like hidden treasures. Colossians 2:3 says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Isaiah 45:3, God tells Israel that He will give them "the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places" so that they will know it was God who called them. Even Genesis 2 hints at this idea when it mentions the lands in Eden containing gold.

It seems that the best and most valuable things in creation have to be sought out. Minecraft's worlds are no different; players must possess curiosity and a willingness to put forth the effort to uncover the best materials hidden deep within the world.

5) Heavenly Yearnings

I don't know about you, but I'm really looking forward to heaven. As a designer, I'm especially looking forward to creating without the difficulties and limitations that hinder me now. Minecraft's Creative Mode speaks to these heavenly yearnings. By equipping you with unlimited materials and freeing you from gravity's constraints, Creative Mode is a voxelized glimpse of heaven.

6) Longing for Adventure

Just like Creative Mode taps into our heavenly yearnings, Minecraft's Survival Mode speaks to our longings for adventure. In John Eldredge's book Wild At Heart, he writes, "Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue." We all feel this longing to adventure to various degrees because it's the story of the Bible—God loved us so much that He came into his creation and conquered Satan, sin, and death to rescue his bride, The Church.

7) Created for Community

We are created for community. Being made in the image of our triune God, we are happiest, healthiest, and most productive when we are part of a community. 

As fun as it is to create in your own world, Minecraft is best played with others. My family can attest to this. We have spent countless hours building and adventuring together in each other's worlds. Not only is it more fun to create with others, but some of the most jaw-dropping Minecraft creations could only have come from the efforts of a dedicated community.

8) Giving

Jesus said that it is better to give than receive (Acts 20:35), and if you've ever helped someone, you know how great it feels. I don't know if Notch was conscious of it at the time, but his design choices primed players to give and share in a couple of ways.

First, when you create something, you naturally want to share it. You see this very clearly with children. Whenever my kids draw a picture or build a new Lego creation, they rush into my office to show me. This compulsion to share allowed Minecraft to spread in a grassroots style. 

Second, because Minecraft is a sandbox game and doesn't hold your hand with an in-depth tutorial, the game was shrouded in mystery for a long time. This uncertainty encouraged new players to seek out a knowledgeable friend, probably the same one that initially told them about the game, to learn the ins and outs of things like crafting. The brilliant thing is that the easiest way to show someone around also happens to be the most fun way to play the game—which is to invite them into your world.

9) Beauty

The importance of beauty seems to be lost in much of the modern church. In a world focused on utility and efficiency, it's easy for beauty to be left behind. However, artists like Makoto Fujimura are reminding believers of the role beauty plays in faith. In his book Art + Faith, Fujimura argues, "Without beauty and mercy, the gospel will not change the world." 

Minecraft is beautiful. It may be a chunky, low-fi, retro beauty, but Minecraft's generated worlds possess a beauty and peace that points to a creator. As you walk across the generated landscape, the environment is pristine; you are the first one ever to lay eyes on it. I have felt the awe of uncovering waterfalls and snow-covered mountains after cresting the game's voxelized hills. I can only imagine how Adam and Eve felt exploring this world for the first time. 

So, those are nine game design ideas in Minecraft that I see connect with faith and God's creation. I'm sure there are many more, so let me know what you see. 

Also, if you would like to learn more about the story of Minecraft, be sure to check out this documentary. On my first viewing, I came away inspired.