Ready. Aim. Throw! Yesterday was National Darts Day. Why June 29th? June 29th is the 180th day of the year and 180 is the highest number of points a person can achieve in one round of darts.
“The roots of darts stretch back to medieval England, where soldiers honed their aim by throwing sharp objects at tree trunks. Over centuries, this practice evolved into a recreational activity, with wooden barrels serving as early dartboards. Modern darts were invented by Brian Gamlin in 1896, who established the numbered scoring system. By 1908, darts gained official recognition as a game of skill, solidifying its place as a popular pastime in British pubs.
“In 1975, the invention of soft-tip darts was a pivotal moment in darts history. Invented by Rudy Allison, Founder of Arachnid, who discovered the enjoyment of steel-tip darts during his travels in Europe. He observed that manual scorekeeping on chalkboards frequently interrupted the game’s flow. Allison envisioned an electronic dartboard that could tally the scores automatically. With the help of a few others, Allison took his vision and created the first electronic soft-tip dartboard, which is still being used today!”1
The first time I played darts was at a neighbor’s house. There was a pool table offset between the dart board and the throwing line. He was trying to mess up my throw by sitting on the edge of the pool table, talking smack, and doing anything to be a distraction. As I was throwing a dart, he decided it would be a good time to throw his legs up in the air. Would you care to guess how that worked out for him? The dart embedded very nicely into his leg. I was not trying to do that and wouldn’t have done it intentionally. However, the lesson was learned, and he never did it again. In case you’re wondering, the dart pulls out just as easily as it went in. A little pressure on the wound and we continued playing.
The rules to the basic game are simple. A round consists of the player throwing three darts. They throw from the oche (pronounced AH-key), the line behind which they must stand, which is 7 foot, 9 ½ inches from the board. Points are on the board and, depending on the game, the thrower is trying to achieve the points required to win. Sounds simple and easy, right?
Hitting a bullseye is challenging due to its small size (12.7 mm in diameter) and the standard distance from the oche. For average players, the probability is roughly 5-10% or less per throw, while professional players can achieve higher odds through consistent practice and precision. For beginners, the probability may be closer to 1% per throw.2
Imagine playing the game with a 0% chance of hitting the bullseye. Would you want to keep playing or would frustration cause you to give up? Consider a bullseye that is always missed. Romans 3:10-12, 23 says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one… (23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
People are constantly playing the game of religion. They throw their darts of good works, giving, church membership, family ties to Christianity, sacraments, ordinances, and service with the hopes that one of these will hit the bullseye, making them right and ready for Heaven. God says, though, that there are none righteous, none can do righteousness, all have sinned, and they have missed the mark, coming short of the glory of God. So long as a person keeps trying to play the game, they have a 0% chance of hitting the bullseye.
Instead of getting frustrated and saying, “I QUIT this game!” they keep playing it, hoping that the results will change. They won’t. Humanity will always come short of the glory of God. They will always miss the mark.
James 1:17 reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Salvation is a gift (Romans 6:23) that comes from above, from the Father who offers forgiveness and mercy based on the grace of Jesus.
It’s fine to play darts, missing the mark, and only hitting the bullseye on occasion. But in spiritual matters, this isn’t okay. Today needs to be the day where you stop playing this game and realize that salvation is only through Jesus. Keep “trying” to be saved and you will miss the mark every time. The only way to hit the mark is through the shed blood of Jesus and what He did for us at Calvary and at the empty tomb.
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Titus 3:5)
1https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-darts-day-june-29
2https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/368415/probability-of-hitting-the-bullseye-in-darts
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