Based on the 2021 hit of the same name, “Squid Game: The Challenge” is a reality show pitting contestants against one another for a multimillion-dollar prize. 

Despite some genuinely entertaining moments, and an impressive production value, this program showcases some of the worst that society has to offer. People are vindictive, conniving, petty and slanderous. Contestants constantly gossip and put their own arrogance on full display. Cursing and personal prejudice abound, and overall, it’s quite concerning to watch. 

Unfortunately, what is depicted is very similar if not identical to the world in which we live. All the show did was provide an environment for these undesirable facts to intensify. This isn’t a surprise. Mark 7:21-23 (NIV) tells us, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Humans are born with a sinful nature. That’s why Jesus’s sacrifice and love for us is so important. Without His grace, all people will devolve into their worst traits, and that is truly a terrifying thought. Let’s take courage then in these words in Romans 7:24-25a (NIV), “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”