Animal Crossing: My Virtual Life as a Bad Neighbor (Hosea 1-3)

Of all the challenges that have existed over this crazy year, Animal Crossing was one of the few constant positives in a sea of trials and tribulations. The world of Animal Crossing was a bright, colorful, happy place where anyone could come and simply relax, unwind, and enjoy the simpler things in life like collecting insects, fishing, decorating, and stargazing. The best part was you didn’t need to be a skilled gamer or even a fan of the series to jump right in… the villagers and local entrepreneurs would guide you through every second of the process… even if a few also happily charged a fairly exorbitant amount of bells for the pleasure (looking at YOU, Tom Nook).

I made a daily habit of checking in with my neighbors, performing my little list of chores and tasks, hunting seashells and catching butterflies… in many ways this was a game that was MADE for the challenges of the year 2020. And no matter how gritty, lonely, and dark the outside world could be at any given time, the kindness of my virtual friends in Animal Crossing were always ready to push those feelings away, even if just for a short spell. It was an oasis that was always there for me whenever I needed it, whether it was first thing in the morning or during some long, sleepless hours at night.

I can’t pinpoint the exact moment this happened, but one day I didn’t stop to check in on my neighbors or collect my Nook miles… I didn’t even turn my Switch on. Maybe it was an unusually busy morning, or perhaps I just forgot. That one day turned into two. And then a week. After a few more weeks went by I realized I had missed some large seasonal events that I had previously been looking forward to. I suppose I could have done the “time-travel” thing and went back to see them… but to be honest, I didn’t really want to. And now here I sit, realizing that it has been MONTHS since I last played the game, and it is highly likely that many of the neighbors who had carried me through some of my most challenging and stressful days have probably moved on, left the game, and stopped waiting for me to ever return. I didn’t MEAN to simply use them and then discard them once I no longer needed them… it just HAPPENED.
I hate to say it, but there is a biblical character I can relate to here, and they aren’t someone that I am proud to identify with. Maybe you know her story, and maybe you don’t… it isn’t actually the most family-friendly story in the Bible. But that is what makes it important to understand, because as much as I enjoy the stories of heroines of the faith such as Esther, Deborah, and Ruth… the truth is I have a lot more in common with Gomer than I do any of these names I just mentioned. Don’t recognize the name? We can find her story in the book of Hosea…

Hosea 1:2-3 When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
That’s a fine introduction, wouldn’t you say? As soon as we make our acquaintance with the prophet Hosea, we find out this his life is about to become an act of performance art for the Lord to send a message to the nation of Israel. We don’t get Hosea’s reaction, but I have a feeling that he wasn’t all that enthused about this unique mission. Either way, Hosea made his selection and chose the prostitute Gomer as his bride, and he began a little family with her. Without knowing Gomer’s backstory, it is hard to have much to say about her except to hope that she is turning over a “new leaf”, and thankful for this opportunity to start a brand new life with the “new horizons” she has been presented. (See what I did there? New Leaf? New Horizons? C’mon, you KNOW that was at least worthy of a golf clap). Let’s see what happens next…
Hosea 3:1-3 (The Message Bible) Then God ordered me, “Start all over: Love your wife again, your wife who’s in bed with her latest boyfriend, your cheating wife. Love her the way I, God, love the Israelite people, even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy.” I did it. I paid good money to get her back. It cost me the price of a slave. Then I told her, “From now on you’re living with me. No more whoring, no more sleeping around. You’re living with me and I’m living with you.”

Hosea just keep drawing the short straw here… it had to be hard enough to be taken seriously as a prophet when your wife is well-known in the all the wrong circles, and now he has to go and BUY BACK his unfaithful bride as an example of the completely undeserving love that the Father has for us. After Gomer was given a second chance at life as the honorable wife of a good man, she fell right back into her old sins and demonstrated once again how unworthy she was of Hosea’s love and forgiveness. As a matter of fact, she didn’t even come to Hosea begging for forgiveness and reconciliation… he went out to find HER.
Here is the truth that is painful for me to admit… I would love to say that I can identify with Hosea, but I don’t. MANY times in life I have been Gomer… promising my life, love, and devotion to the Lord only to eventually forget how good He has been to me and regress back into old habits, sins, and a self-serving lifestyle that He had delivered me from. And I think that is why Gomer’s story is here… to remind us that His faithfulness to us has NOTHING to do with our past or present faithfulness to Him. He loved us in our most UNLOVABLE state, and He remains committed to us regardless of our indiscretions and moral failures.

Through my Animal Crossing game that was always there for me through the hard times, the dark days, and the long nights… I have realized that I am not a great virtual neighbor. And through the story of Gomer I completely identify with the unworthy recipient of love from One who has done nothing but shower me with good gifts and bring me into His family, even though I have not even done Him the good service of being a faithful follower in return. But here is the best part of the story… once Gomer was “bought back” by Hosea, we have no record of her ever leaving again. She finally made the decision to allow herself to be fully loved and to love in return.

Just like Gomer, we were also “bought back” after both being born into sin (Psalm 51:5) as well as making our own sinful choices (James 1:14). The Lord loves each and every one of His “Gomers”… not because we have a clean past, a pure heart, or because we chose Him first. He pulled US out of the miry clay (Psalm 40:2), and no matter how sordid our past has been or how we may have failed Him even AFTER our conversion… He is ready, willing, and able to wash ALL those sins away. PERMANENTLY. I may always be a “Gomer” to some people, but please don’t call me by that old name anymore. Just call me HIS. Now if you don’t mind, I think I have some old friends that I owe a visit to…

1 John 4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

Check-out Finding God in the World of Video Games