Saved in Japan

wordsout by godfrey rust
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Saved in Japan

"In the hotel room of the future Gideon's Bible will have a rival - Nintendo video games" (News item, 1994)

The marketplace was crowded
and the competition real,
so the Gideons and Nintendo
sat down and made a deal.

It seemed a smart alliance
of such very different aims—
a God-and-mammon enterprise:
Nintendo Bible games.

Gameboy David v Goliath,
Moses' Race Across The Sea,
Donkey-Kong's-Search-For-A-Stable,
Armageddon-Home-For-Tea.

Now the weary business traveller
seeking spiritual dole
could find fun and consolation
in a hand-held game console.

The reviews were all terrific,
salesmen's expectations high—
yet the project was a failure
and nobody quite knew why.

All of Webworld’s smartest coders
couldn't tell how it was done,
but no matter who was playing
somehow Israel always won.

When this was written in 1994 the underlying idea seemed fanciful. As the picture shows of course it has become commonplace.