An Uplifiting Story
The score stood at nothing-up in the top of the second when Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky came to the plate with two on and nobody out. A tiny girl not known for her power, the utility outfielder caught the sweet spot on a fastball and parked it in the center field stands for the first home run of her career.
But as she rounded first, Tucholsky bellowed in agony and plummeted to the ground like a sousing hawk. She'd blown out her knee in a freak false-step. As she clawed her way back to the bag her coach shooed off concerned teammates, knowing that if one of them touched the injured player she would be unable to advance. The umpire explained the rules: if the hitter could not tour the diamond on her own power both base runners would score but she'd be credited with only a single.
Then Mallory Holtman, the towering first-sacker for the opposing Central Washington Wildcats stepped up. "Excuse me, would it be O.K. if we carried her around and touched each bag?" The ump decided that was legal so Hotlman and shortstop Liz Wallace formed a chair with their linked arms and toted their fallen opponent through the rest of the round-trip, lowering the foot of her good leg to tap each base.
I don't think Billy Martin would have let that one pass. Roger Clemens, hyped on 'roid rage, would doubtless have argued the call. Ty Cobb would have cleated her when no one was looking and then spit on the wound. But two great athletes lifted a fallen foe in a moment that outranks all the stats and the scandals.
That brace of ballplayers did more than demonstrate sportsmanship: they invoked the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus denies any intention of disbanding the law. He proposes to explain and expand it. "If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him." It is a short exegetical step from Exodus 23.5 to Matthew 6.44. Two teammates lugging an opponent home or four friends hauling a paralytic to Peter's home – the same principle applies in either case.
"Here and there in the world," observes Paul Tillich, "and now and then in ourselves is a New Creation." On a softball field in twenty-first century America or the roof of a hut in first-century Galilee, we sometimes catch a glimpse of the life Jesus says can be ours all the time.
In my seminary evangelism class they taught us that the most important question we could ask was, "If you died tonight do you know for certain that you would go to Heaven?" But the next time the law rules that someone has come up short – even an opponent, even an enemy – I hope I remember to ask what may in fact be the first question of the Kingdom: "Excuse me, would it be O.K. if I carried her?" Having shown someone what Heaven looks like, I might have more luck inviting her to go there.
Batter Up! (Or Down)
Doug
Sermoneutics is a weekly column authored by Doug Jackson. Before coming to SCS, Dr. Jackson pastored local churches for nearly twenty-five years.