Playing to Lose

Friday 2/8/19 5:41 AM

I enjoy playing cribbage, a card game in which the first player to score 120 points wins. The strategy is to score points without giving your opponent any opportunities to score points. I often play with my son-in-law, Ryan, when we visit them during the summer or when they come to visit around Christmas. Occasionally we play the game with the rules reversed, that is, the first player to score 120 points loses. Then the best strategy is to give away all the points you can to your opponent without scoring points yourself. It is very difficult to change your mindset to that of trying to lose the game. It goes against everything you know about the rules of the game and the best strategy to win.

Today I read this quote by Evelyn Underhill in her book The Spiritual Life. She writes, “Osuna says that God plays a game with the soul called ‘the loser wins’; a game in which the one who holds the poorest cards does best. The Pharisee’s consciousness that he had such an excellent hand really prevented him from taking a single trick.” I think I agree with Osuna, if the Bible is true.

I live in a culture that prizes wealth, power, prestige, fame, and so on. The culture is best described by the old bumper sticker, “The man with the most toys wins.” The best way to achieve success in this kind of culture is to do whatever it takes to get money, power, etc. If one has to dupe others or put them at a disadvantage to achieve your goal, so be it. When it comes to my personal advancement, others be damned.

The Bible teaches us to look to the interests of others rather than looking out for our own interests. We are to love our enemy and to do good to those who hate us. We are to forgive those who do us harm without seeking revenge. We are to go out of our way to help others, without regard for what it might cost us. It is very difficult to adopt that kind of a mindset in this culture, just like it is hard to play cribbage to lose. The best way to become proficient at that kind of game is to practice, practice, practice. Lord, give me eyes filled with love and compassion for others.