Date: March 3, 2026
As I age, one of my quiet anxieties is the prospect of becoming the sort of elderly person who finds new technology baffling and impenetrable. We all know the stereotype: someone in their seventies unable to locate Netflix on a smart TV or download a simple file from the internet. I have no desire to drift into that fog of confusion. So whenever a new technology emerges, I make a conscious decision to learn it, test it, and understand both what it can do and where it falls short. At present, that means living attentively in the world of artificial intelligence – exploring its promise, probing its weaknesses, and refusing to be intimidated by it.
Out of that exploration came a small act of invention. Using Claude Code, I created a game called Letter Rush. You can find it here. Like all games, it has ancestors; no idea arrives in a vacuum. But this is a distinctive twist – fast, engaging, and just unpredictable enough to keep you coming back. When I think about how the inventor of Wordle was handsomely rewarded after it joined the New York Times family of games, I allow myself a modest daydream: perhaps, if Letter Rush catches on, it might become a small and cheerful income stream in retirement.
So here is my shameless request. Play the game. Enjoy it. And if it brings even a flicker of delight, forward it to everyone in your contact list and invite them to discover the joys of Letter Rush. Consider it both a public service – keeping minds nimble – and a personal kindness to someone determined not to be left behind by the digital age.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary.Â