You might have heard of this famous African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

I found this to be true in Apex Legends, a free-to-play game that dropped in early February and became an unexpected runaway hit, amassing 25 million players in its first week.

I’ve never been into battle royale games such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds or Fortnite, but I played Apex Legends with a bunch of friends on a whim when it launched. It actually turned out to be very polished and a lot of fun.

When I’m not busy being pinned down in fierce firefights, the game has actually afforded me a lot of downtime to process my thoughts. Here’s what I’ve learnt while on the way to the supply ship.

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

High above a cacophony of gunfire and explosions, the proverb I referred to earlier rings true in Apex Legends, where the only way to win is through close cooperation within your squad of 3 players. No matter how talented you are as a gamer, if you do things solo, you’re ultimately never going to win going up against 57 other players.

The same can be said for real life. For all of our talents, strength and gifts — no one makes it alone in the world. We need each other.

I might make a play in Apex Legends and eliminate 2 targets, but it’s very difficult to get all 3. Usually in a firefight, the last guy will manage to take you down, but that’s where you have your teammates to back you up and get you on your feet.

It really fleshes out the picture of Ecclesiastes 4:12 for me: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” 

There’s no such thing as a lone-wolf Christian. We need the encouragement, accountability, challenge and love from being in fellowship within the body of Christ.

OVER-COMMUNICATE TO OVERCOME

Apex Legends brought an incredible innovation to the world of multiplayer shooters through its “ping” system. It really is the best non-mic communication system the gaming industry has seen.

Let’s say you see a building and want to go in to look for loot: All you have to do is simply “ping” the building, and your legend will voice his or her intentions to loot the building. A little marker also appears for your teammates so that they know what you’re up to.

We need to know how to ask for help. We need to let others know of the dangers they might be walking into. 

Or, when you see an enemy, you can “ping” them so that your squad mates are aware of the danger ahead. “Pinging” also works for items that you’ve found and want to share with your teammates. Or to let them know you need that item, so they’ll help keep a look out for you.

It’s an incredible reminder of the power of communication. Victories in these kinds of competitive games always boil down to how you talk and what information is passed on. The “ping” system eliminates a lot of the pointless chatter you used to see in such shooters.

That’s one of the reasons why I find Apex Legends so refreshing: You won’t find pointless chatter or toxic trash-talking in the game — just words that are productive and build up the team (Ephesians 4:29).

We need to “ping” well in real life too: We need to know how to ask for help. We need to let others know of the dangers they might be walking into. 

If we “pinged” more in the real world, and “pinged” well, I’d believe we’d win many more victories in life.

PRACTICE, PROFICIENCY AND PERSEVERANCE

As newbies to the battle royale genre, we were truly awful when the game first launched. The thought of being the Champion Squad seemed like an elusive prospect: How were we ever going to beat 57 other players to get to the end?

But we kept at it, learnt the guns, learnt the map, learnt the mechanics of the game… and we eventually did it. Practice and perseverance with the goal in mind finally got us to the top spot.

Speaking to an audience who would have been familiar with the Isthmian or Olympic Games, the Apostle Paul compared the Christian’s life to a race.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

Now imagine you are taking your last breaths, at the age of 101… and you are entirely at peace knowing you are about to meet Jesus in heaven. That’s finishing the fight and running the race well. Think of the sweet relief and eternal satisfaction at having been found faithful.

Christians don’t coast — they press on and persevere passionately in the Lord. And they do these things together.

Just today, I got the last achievement for Apex Legends. That’s 12/12; 1000 Origin points. But looking at a number in the corner of that window, I also realised that it had taken me a few dozen hours to get all those badges.

So I’ll be dialling back on time spent playing Apex Legends. Entertainment, whether it’s games or Netflix, is fine to be enjoyed until it becomes something we overindulge in. So that’s just my friendly reminder at the end of this simple reflection on the game.

If you’d like to talk more about this article or faith (or carry me), feel free to add H0LYH0LYH0LY on PC. See you on the Frontier!