t was a novelty at first. A man had discovered how to manipulate images on a TV screen in order to make a little box go back and forth and bounce off user-controlled "paddles." Thus, Pong was created. 

Video games soon got quite more sophisticated. People were soon able to make more rounded shapes.  They made the circle yellow, gave it a mouth, and Pac-Man was created. It wasn't long after that that we were able to create video games in our own image. Our own, tiny, pixilated image. A plumber with red overalls and a vendetta against a huge gorilla captured the hearts and imaginations of people everywhere; Mario became king over Kong.

Today the video gaming industry makes billions of dollars every year. World of Warcraft alone has a minimum subscription fee of $13 per month and boasts over 10 million subscribers. Games have become more immersive, more realistic and more entertaining than the creators of Pong could ever have realized.

People look to games for various reasons. Some play to escape the world, some play to socialize with friends, some even play because it's their job.

Is it damaging? Is it an addiction? Is the violent nature of these video games affecting our youth?

In modern times, video games have become increasingly "multiplayer." Some games, such as World of Warcraft and Rock Band, almost require that you play along with other people. So we can no longer say that video games are an anti-social activity. They are, in fact, the quintessential social activity of our time. There will always be parties, but even parties have a console or two hooked up. 

In fact, so many and such a wide variety of people play video games that to take the small amount of people with negative associations to them and make them an example for the whole is like saying all people who drink water are cat-killers.

Instead of trying to take kids away from video games, we need to embrace their modern social nature.  A console or a PC can bring people together today like nothing else in the history of technology has been able to. Instead of treating gamers as exceptions to the social norm, we need to take the social gaming phenomenon as it is and work through it, not against it.

Video games are the newest and best ways to connect to people, especially young people, and they are not to be ignored or discouraged. Sharing the love of Christ starts with building a solid relationship, and that's exactly what today's games do. To reach a gamer, play their games. There's really no simpler way to put it.