@lovethynerd
Love Thy Nerd
Love Nerds + Engage Culture + Build Community

LTN Advent Calendar 2018: Joy and Wandersong

As we enter the season of Christmas, the Love Thy Nerd writers want to share moments from nerd culture that resonate with them and reflect the weeks of the Advent calendar.

Week 3 – Joy – Shepherd’s Candle

Sheep are a lot more like people than we’d like to admit, but being out away from humanity can make a shepherd feel disconnected from their people. Imagine how flabbergasted they were, then, when the angels announced the birth of the Messiah not in the temple, not in the market, not in the royal court, but on the face of an empty mountain outside of town to only their smelly selves. They picked themselves up off the ground and rushed to see the child, then couldn’t contain themselves.

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:17-18, 20

No one expects anything from the player character of Wandersong, a young bard possessed by joy. The bardlet is explicitly not the Hero and is pitted against her in an effort to save the world. But the most consistent opponents our bardlet faces are everything fellow characters embody other than joy: depression, apathy, existential crisis, hatred, and fear. Armed only with a voice, the bardlet shows them that they, too, can have joy.

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10

You can read the rest of the 2018 LTN Advent Calendar here.

Featured image “candle” by davidpwhelan (Morguefile license, resized).





Assignment Editor
Assignment Editor at Love Thy Nerd, Madeline lives in Kansas where she takes care of people, plays games, watches, reads, writes, and makes things.

Reader Comments

Related Content

Bible Thump 122 | Rescue Mission (w/ CJ Burroughs)

The Next Gen Nerd brings us a message from Luke about finding the lonely and lost.

Bible Thump 121 | Joy Persists (w/ Bubba Stallcup)

Bubba Stallcup, CEO of Love Thy Nerd, brings us our Thanksgiving devotional touching on joy and gratitude.

Rise & Shine, Nerds 49 | The Fun Side of A.I.

Radio Matt & Deidra celebrate a change of pace where A.I. is actually making some really cool stuff, like one last song from The Beatles or a voice chat filter for Doritos crunch noises. Plus, how soon is too soon to start celebrating Christmas?

Today in Nerd History | October 13

A daily re-cap of this date in the history of movies, TV shows, video games, comics, wrestling and more!

Rise & Shine, Nerds 45 | Shoe Boxes, Speed 3, & Saving Mary

Radio Matt & Deidra are joined by Thomas Manning from Operation Christmas Child to discuss how a simple shoebox gift can have an Eternal Impact on a family and a community. Plus, kidnapped by a runaway electric car! And the Atari 2600 is having its best year since 1982! All this and a lot more.

Church Nerds 86 | The Christmas Eve Eve Special

Bubba & Anna share nerdy Christmas traditions here at home and around the world in this special Christmas Eve Eve episode.

Back Row 537 – 540 | Tier-Ranking Christmas Movies & Specials

In the final weeks of shows for the year and Season 9, Radio Matt & Mo have a low-key Christmas, ranking Christmas Movies and Specials, chatting with the Back Row Buds about Christmas Music, and playing the Christmas Edition of Sunday School Answers. Plus, more fun Christmas stuff.

Free Play 164 | Nerds of Christmas Past

Free Play’s “cut-man”, CJ Burroughs, suggested Bubba, Matt & Kate chat about some of their memories about nerdy Christmas gifts that they received as young nerds way back when. They also want to cover the 2022 Game Awards Game of the Year nominees and throw their guesses out ahead of the award show next week. This is the Season 7 finale!