A Virtual Church

All in the Game

June 13, 2011

" Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished." Matthew 5: 17 - 18 The baseball game already had offered an interesting start. Some of our stadium seats were broken. Seat jockeying took a while. It was hot late in the afternoon. Still a hearty group gathered for the fellowship with one another and for the sheer love of the game. Rain delayed play in the sixth inning. The Bulls were down, and a cooling down might be good for them. So we grabbed a bucket of popcorn and found cover. Covering the field in a rain delay is great to watch. Speed and strength count in putting down the gigantic tarp. The pitcher's mound and batting box get extra attention. Waiting becomes part of the game as does getting really close with people you don't know. We become a community together in our soaking shirts and sloshy shoes. Interesting the things that bind us together. But the most curious thing happened after the seventh inning stretch. The Bulls were in the field; Tides were at bat. A long drive was hit deep into center field. It did not go over the fence, rather, it went into the fence through a small opening we could not even see. The center fielder looked puzzled, lifted his shoulders in a "what's up" way. Left and right fielders came to the fence to see where the ball had landed, and the batter ran the bases for a home run. The score was even put on the board. Then the tide turned. The umps collaborated by second base. One of them ran out to the fence, picked up the ball and ran back for more discussion. A ruling was made: standing rule double. That was it, so we thought. The runner came back to second just about the time the Tides third base coach had a few collaborative words with the umps and walked out to the fence to see the lay of the land himself. After jumping the fence examining all the land up and around the fence, he pomped his way back to the infield where he was invited to exit the game. All this hoopla about the rules delayed the game an additional 20 minutes, even though it was quite a show. Here are my take aways from the ballgame: 1. When judgment is involved, do not take the evidence into your own hands to justify. Let the ball lie where it lands; it will tell its own story.; 2. Just because you think you deserve it, don't take more bases than are rightfully yours. Greed is wrong in any game, especially when you already have the most score.; 3. When judgment comes, accept it with grace that the game may continue. Raising a stink can get you ejected from the field. At that point, the game is over for you. Baseball is full of things to learn. Like all of life, if we but observe, we will gain wisdom. Blessings in the day!

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