Hello,
“Let’s play two!”
As a kid who grew up in the 60’s in suburban Chicago, I
would regularly turn on WGN TV, Channel 9, at 1:00 on a summer afternoon to
watch the Cubs play in the “friendly confines” of Wrigley Field. Jack Brickhouse and Lou Boudreau called
the games, and they punctuated the play with “Hey! Hey! Holy Mackerel” as balls
left Cub bats and soared over the outfield ivy to be gathered in by the loyal
bleacher bums.
Today, as I sit next to my fireplace on a chilly western
Pennsylvania day, deep in Pirate’s land, four inches of snow freshly fallen on
the ground, months away from the first pitch of the next baseball season, I am
blanketed by those childhood memories of the Chicago Cubs because a wind far
colder than a winter wind has blown across my world, the wind of death. Yesterday, Ernie Banks, “Mr. Cub” died.
“Let’s play two,” he would say with delight as he took the
field to do what he woke up looking forward to do, play baseball. His deep hitch in his signature swing
left its mark over and over again on those summer days, doing what most
short-stops couldn’t do, hit home runs.
By the time of my Cub fan-dom Ernie had aged a bit and was no longer at
short stop but was holding down first base. Though his quickness had diminished, his delight certainly had
not…it may have even grown, still able to play the game. Smiling as he tossed practice grounders
to the infielders. Intensely
concentrating as he stood at the plate, and grinning from ear to ear as he
glided around the bases, another home run in Wrigley Field.
From all reports Ernie’s off the field personality matched
his on the field personality. He
was as Mike Greenburg of ESPN said this morning, “a nicer man than Ernie could
not be found.”
The Cubs, as all baseball fans know, never won a pennant
while Ernie played for them. (Came
close in ’69…UGH, the Mets!), but that never seemed to dampen Ernie’s
spirit. Although I am sure that
Ernie would have wished for a World Series Flag to fly over Wrigley Field
during his tenure on the team, to play the game…to be out there on the field
with his team, to take on the challenge of hitting a curve ball when the count
was 0-2, to fire up his aging legs to try and make it to third from first on a
hit by Ron Santo to right field….that was the catalyst of his joy.
I learned something far more important than baseball skills
from Ernie. What I learned was
that in a world so driven by winning, it really isn’t winning at all that
brings joy to our days…the thing that motivates a person to get out of bed and
tackle the day ahead. Joy, as
evidenced by Ernie, is more solidly found in simply being in the game.
As a pastor I try to remember that. In my tenure of 30+ years, evil is
still swinging a pretty mean bat.
Children still die of hunger related diseases all over the world. Power mongers still inflict suffering
and war over those who have what the powerful want. People who by their own doing have fallen into deep pits
continue to be passed by by those who haven’t yet so stumbled. Fear still takes a hold of people’s
hearts and higher walls are built.
To be a Christian seems to me akin to being a Cub.
But that is where I hope I have learned something from Ernie
Banks….and learned something from Jesus: solid joy is simply to be found in
being in the game. To hear the
words “thank you” from one who has just eaten a free meal in our fellowship
hall….to see a smile come across the face of one to whom the world has pushed
out the door but I have given a handshake of welcome….to see a tear form in the
eye of one whose life is slipping through their hands as I place a piece of
bread in their hand and say “This is the body of Christ, given for you….FOR
YOU.”…to stand at a graveside and in the face of what seems so final and say
death is not the final word, rather Jesus has won the last word and that is, “This
one is mine, and death you can’t keep this one from me.”
There may not be a pennant of glory flying over me, but
there is a cross marked on me….”So, let’s play two!”
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace, (ggap)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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