Pastor Ed’s Blog

Trivial Pursuit

Trivia.

Literally, the word means the intersection of three roads (tri-via), suggesting what is commonplace or trifling. The actual definition of the word means “little known, insignificant facts, of little or no importance.”

For instance, did you know that:

• You can think 625 thoughts on the energy of 1 Cheerio?
• Donald Duck’s middle name is Fauntleroy?
• A goldfish has a memory span of 3 seconds?
• “Dreamt” is the only word in English that ends in “mt”?
• KGB stands for Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti?
• Almonds are members of the peach family?

Did you know those “little known, insignificant facts, of little or no importance?” Did you even care? Did they make a difference in your life? In the cosmic scheme of things, did they really matter?

Trivia may be interesting, but when it comes to what really matters, it’s insignificant and inconsequential.

That’s why I think the Trivial Pursuit phenomenon is so reflective of our culture. For many people, Trivial Pursuit isn’t a pastime, it’s a lifestyle!

Many people give themselves to the pursuit of insignificant and inconsequential things, of little or no importance–as least from an eternal perspective. And in the pursuit of trivial things, they so often sacrifice the things that really matter, such as faith, family and friends (Was that promotion really worth the sacrifice?).

As John Ortberg has pointed out, life is like a Monopoly game. At the end of the game, it all goes back in the box–the money, the properties, the houses…all of it.

And at the end of life, all the trivial things–the awards, the toys, the houses, the properties, and the money–go back in the box. Only what is eternal remains, such as faith, family and friends.

Enjoy the game, but hold lightly to trivial things and invest your life in what ultimately matters.