20 Nov, 2006
Mob scenes and gun violence mark pre-Christmas launch of Sony's PS3
Sony's PlayStation 3 went on sale in the US yesterday amid mob scenes and gun violence worthy of the shoot-'em-up games available for the much hyped new console.
Robbers held up a line of gamers waiting outside a superstore in Connecticut at 3am yesterday morning, demanding they hand over the $500 they had saved to buy the PS3, and one man was shot when he resisted.
The midnight launch generated queues of people, many of whom had camped outside superstores for days. In West Bend, Wisconsin, a 19-year-old was injured when he ran into a pole while racing with 50 others for one of 10 spots outside a Wal-Mart. In Fresno, California, police were forced to close a Wal-Mart after shoppers fought to get ahead of the queue. And there was a drive-by shooting in Lexington, Kentucky, when a local television reporter was hit with pellets from a toy gun while interviewing waiting gamers.
Many of those who camped out have already pre-sold their consoles, which have been changing hands on eBay at prices above $1,000 - four times their retail cost.
The console is months late and there were still just 400,000 consoles available yesterday. Sony says that it will be able to ship only a million consoles to the United States before Christmas.
picture courtesy images.google.com & story news.independent.co.uk, 11/17/06
I gotta have it now!
What does today's God's Story teach us about earthly possessions?
First of all, Jesus makes it clear that our focus must be on Heavenly values rather than earthly values. If we are obsessed to possess, we will find ourselves empty-handed and needy.
Secondly, Jesus said that the Father knows our needs and will supply them in His way. Can we be patient and trust Him to be our loving Father?
Today's story about the PS3 madness is a vivid illustration of how what people will do when they gotta have something right now! Playing video games is not the problem. In fact, I think if Jesus were walking planet earth today rather than 2000 years ago, He would have fun sitting down and playing a game with you. And...He would beat you...or maybe let you win...that would be a miracle!
Priorities are the problem. Could we be patient for more PS3s to arrive and spend that waiting time in line doing something for someone else? Would we stand in line to show our passion for Christ? If we sold our PS3 for a profit, could we give the extra to someone in need? Just wondering....
How can we connect today's God's Story to our lives?
- Do a little honest evaluation. How are you doing with our culture's perspective of 'the one with the most toys - wins'? What are your priorities on a daily basis? Pleasure or serving? Possessions or giving? The earthly or the heavenly?
- Talk to God right now. Ask your heavenly Father to forgive you for ways in which you have been selfish or impatient about needs and wants. Ask His Spirit to help you depend on Him completely and see your needs and desires from His perspective. Thank your loving Father for His promise to take care of you in a way that He knows is best for you.
- For one month, keep a written record of what you want and buy. Everytime you think of something you want to buy, ask yourself if you really need it or do you just want it? Could the money you spend be used in a better way? Do you think God would be pleased with the purchase? Honestly evaluate your attitude and actions - you might be surprised how this affects you and others!
How can we connect today's story, God's Story and our story to others?
- Use this DAILYBIDE as a resource for your youth group or small group to get other followers of Jesus thinking about what He taught in Matthew 6:25-33.
- Email this DAILYBIDE to a friend or family member and then follow it up with a conversation to see what they think?
- Get some friends who need Jesus together to play video games. Look for an opportunity to ask them if they saw today's PS3 story and what they thought about it. Trust Jesus for the nudge to share what you learned in today's DAILYBIDE - it's part of your story.
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