“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa
One day
recently there were four boys and
three baseballs, all in St. Louis’
Busch Stadium. The boys had come to
watch the St. Louis Cardinals—and
perhaps catch or otherwise snag a
stray baseball. Eventually, a player
threw a ball to someone in the
stands, who gave it to one of the
boys, Connor, who was at the game
with his grandmother. A few innings
later, another boy, named River,
told Connor he didn’t think he had a
chance of getting a ball. Connor
told River he was wrong and bragged
about having been given one. But
Connor’s grandmother saw that he had
hurt River’s feelings by being
insensitive and told Connor to be
more considerate next time. A few
minutes later, Connor moved over and
gave the ball to the other boy. Then
another ball flew into the stands
and an older boy grabbed it and gave
it to Connor. But River had been hit
in the face during the scramble. So,
another older boy gave him a ball
he’d caught earlier in the game. In
the end, two boys went home with
baseballs and all four went home
happy, even though the Cardinals
lost. This is my favorite kind of
sports story—the kind about “good
sports.” And whether they knew it or
not, they were each following the
rules—especially the “Golden Rule”
(Matt. 7:12, Luke 6:31). (This story
was originally reported by Tony
Messenger in the June 14, 2021
edition of the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch.)
The apostle Paul was no stranger to sports metaphors, especially in his correspondence with his young protégé Timothy. Paul wanted Timothy to “win” a victory for Christ but more importantly he wanted him to win “fair and square.” In his second letter to Timothy, he wrote that Playing by the rules means playing fairly. We know that some things are simply “fair” while others aren’t. While I’d like to think “fair” means I’ll win every time, I know that’s not very realistic. If a couch potato like me competed with a professional athlete, it wouldn’t be particularly “fair.” Instead, “fair” means everyone gets a shot. My opening sports example was a good bit more than “fair” because all the boys left the game happy. Beyond “fair,” there’s also the matter of why we “play the game,” of what our objective is. Naturally, we “play to win” but what does “winning” mean? For Christians, “winning” means promoting what the Bible calls “the kingdom of God” and helping to make it a reality here on Earth. Christian writer and producer Randy Robison points out that the proof of the reality of the kingdom is This is what God considered “fair” for you and me: to sacrifice a part of Godself on a cross so that we might be part of the kingdom. That’s how God “plays the game,” and that’s how we are assured of victory. When Christ overcame a temporary defeat, he won an eternal victory for you and me (1 Cor. 15:56-57). Educator and abolitionist Horace Mann told his audience in an address at Antioch College, “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” As Christians, we could change that to “some victory for Christ.” Jesus “won the game” for all of us, and we are challenged to do the same in some way. Jesus taught his disciples, “‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.’” (Matt. 5:43-45a NIV). Those are the “rules” for us: Love and not hate, prayer and not revenge. If we “play by the rules,” we will be God’s children. By the same token, if we “play the game” by God’s rules, including the “Golden Rule,” others will see that we belong to God’s “team.” If we are loving, prayerful, forgiving, and willing to sacrifice for others, we can be part of God’s “team.” If we demonstrate the qualities Paul urged Timothy to have, others can’t help but see. “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus,” (1 Tim. 6:11-13a NIV.) Copyright © 2021 by David Phelps
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