Let’s Talk about the Vaguely Threatening Owl
I started on Duolingo many years ago. It was just something to refresh my Spanish at the time and I toyed with the idea of picking up a few other languages. I did not in fact refresh my Spanish or learn another language, yet. But the idea was there. And now I can tease my mother with my mispronunciations in two languages.
Duolingo not only invests in their learning model, but also in the things that someone like me really likes- achievements. In many video game break downs I am listed as an achievement hunter. I will 100% a game by chasing down every single achievement. In one game in particular, I searched for and found 100 feathers spread out over several Italian cities and regions so that I could be rewarded with the achievement and an in-game cape that made guards attack me on site in several regions, including my hometown. Well worth the hours invested in getting those feathers.
And I was thinking today as I have started to, as a distraction from my ordination paperwork that I should be working on, think about what my New Year’s resolutions might be for 2024. And about how I now know I want a Bible app that rewards me daily for reading scripture in the same way a video game does. Which is a bit silly and childish, but stick with me here for a minute.
We want our time invested in our spiritual formation to be rewarding. We want there to be fruits of the Spirit, we want people to see a transformation in us from our relationship with Christ, we want the work we do to be more knowledgeable to have some sort of recognition or payoff. But we also seem to want it to be as immediate as the achievements in a video game. But as we know, striving for Christian perfection can in fact take one’s entire life. Jesus is not a quick fix to the sin-sickness or weariness in our souls. The burden of sin can be lifted in an instant, the absolution of guilt the same, but the actual change needed in our hearts and lives may take a lot longer.
And that’s where one other thing Duolingo does becomes so valuable. It sends a vaguely threatening owl. The internet has turned it into a big joke, but many of the Duolingo reminder notifications that will pop up on your phone are laden with disappointment in you and a nice heavy dash of guilt. Things like “These reminders don’t seem to be working. We’ll stop sending them for now.” But that’s not all. They’ve used data and analysis to figure out exactly what works best for different learners. They share it all in their blog here. And some others (not the company) have turned it into a meme about Duo, the owl. You can see some of that silliness here.
And that’s a sad reality. Aren’t we supposed to be excited to spend time dwelling in the word? Should we really need daily reminders to pray? Do we need to be rewarded for our good works or is that too close to works righteousness for comfort? Are we so unable to pay attention that we need an app to use analytics to figure out the best way to help us engage with our faith when it should be coming much more naturally?
Maybe. But I’ll say this. People from younger generations tend to ask the question of why not when it comes to using resources and tools. If you need to write out your order on a notecard and read it to your server because you have anxiety, why not? If you are able to pay more attention in class when you have a fidget toy in your hands, why not? If you feel safer taking a friend with you to run errands, why not? If the tools and resources are there, why not use them to make your life simpler, easier, or better? Is that not what God wants for us? That we should dwell in God’s kingdom where peace and goodness abound? Where life is joy and love?
Recently I’ve really latched on to that idea from Martin Luther- we do not do these things because we fear the consequences, whether that may be a lake of fire, the weeping and gnashing of teeth in the outer darkness, or a vaguely threatening and definitely disappointed owl mascot, but because we love God.
As you plan your own 2024 resolutions or make goals, I hope you’ll include something for your spiritual life. Maybe it’s introducing fasting (mine is usually from technology not food) or spiritual budgeting or a daily time of scripture reading. Whatever God calls you to do in this next year, I pray it will be fruitful for you.
