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Dur's Desk for May 7, 2008 |
Dear Trinity Family,
Unfortunately, stories like this don’t come every day.
Last week, in a college playoff softball game, senior Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked a home run over the center field fence. The story here is not just that the home run came with two runners out, or that it enabled Western Oregon University to take the lead, or even that it was Sara’s first ever home run, in high school or college. As she rounded the bases, she realized she missed tagging first base, so she abruptly stopped and turned back to first. In the process, she felt a stinging pain in her right knee and crumpled to the ground. With a possible torn ligament, she crawled back to first and could go no further. The umpire reminded her team that if any of her teammates came out to help her, she would be called out.
So here comes the amazing part of the story. Two opposing players from Central Washington University, Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace, went to the umpire and asked if they could help. The umpire obliged.
With Sara’s arms around them, Mallory and Liz put their arms under Sara’s legs and carried her around the base path, stopping at each base for Sara to lower her good leg for to touch each bag.
When they made it to home plate, the three-run home run was counted, ultimately leading to Central Washington’s defeat and elimination from the playoffs.
Sara’s entire team was in tears.
Mallory would later tell reporters, “In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much," Holtman said. "It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run."
SURPRISE!
Now, I’ll admit the temptation up front. How can a preacher like me share this story and not want to jump right to the Good Samaritan, or “I have come not to be served, but to serve”? There is no indication, of course, that Mallory or Liz did this out of any Christian convictions, or that they were doing this because Jesus told them to do it.
So rather than co-opt the story and spiritualize it for the taking, how about we turn the spotlight on us and ask, “Why do stories like this surprise us? And why aren’t we the source of more of them?” If there is any group that can live out acts of love and selflessness, offering stories that surprise and flip conventional wisdom on its ear, shouldn’t it be the church in the world? Aren’t we the living embodiment of the One who came to say “the first shall be last and the last shall be first?”
That is, after all, what the first Pentecost was about. In one fiery, wind-swept moment, the Holy Spirit came and touched off a blazing movement that would call people to turn their lives around, sell their possessions, and give their money to the poor. The capacity to amaze the world is in our history, it’s in our heritage, and it’s in our DNA.
This Sunday, when we celebrate the birthday of the church, let’s remember that we are called to be a surprise to the world so that stories like this can come every day, from us. Together, living after Christ, we will be the church.
I love being your pastor,
Durwood
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