More than a game

Dear Friends in Christ,

With the coming of the end of my favorite season, I share with you a long-ago baseball story.

Babe Ruth had hit 714 home runs during his baseball career and was playing one of his last major league games.

The aging star was playing for the Boston Braves against Cincinnati Reds. But he was no longer as agile as he had once been. He fumbled the ball and threw badly – and in one inning alone, his errors were responsible for five Cincinnati runs.

As the Babe walked off the field after the third out – booing and catcalls cascaded from the stands. The Great Babe Ruth was no longer great in the eyes of all in attendance.

Just then, a young boy jumped over the railing onto the playing field. With tears streaking his cheeks, he threw his arms around the legs of his hero.

Ruth didn’t hesitate. He picked up the boy and hugged him, set him on his feet with a playful pat on the head.

Suddenly, the booing stopped. In fact, a hush fell over the entire park.

In those brief moments, the crowd saw a different kind of hero – a man who despite a dismal day, could still care for a little boy. He was no longer being judged by his accomplishments – neither the past successes nor the present failures – he was being judged by a completely different standard.

Suddenly, it was not his works that mattered but a relationship.

Jesus invites us into a relationship with him. In John 15:15, Jesus calls each of us to become his friends.

Our Lord Jesus came among us to remind each of us that we are, first and foremost, human be-ings, not human do-ers. Whether we are aging stars or young learners, we count in God’s heart simply because we are.

I invite you to look and listen to prayer as a way to deepen your friendship with God. And to see friendship as a model of prayer.

Friends spend time with each other, listen to each other, speak to one another, compliment one another, and are honest without hesitation. They share joy and sorrow and speak of their deepest fears and aspirations. Friends are not afraid to ask of the other and are willing to give of themselves to the other without hesitation.

Prayer is friendship with the one who calls us into relationship.

For the love of the game because it is more than a game.

(The Rev.) Eric Kahl
Director, The Center for Prayer and Spirituality