Settling Softball Disputes

Today I received out of the blue one of the most curious emails I ever received. I’ve pasted it below:

Hi,

I need to get your side of the story on your game against Grace on the mount. I have gotten the email from Grace in regards to the game and what happened. Once I have your email, the league will come to a decision on how to handle the situation.

In Christ,

Eric

Our church used to field a team in the church softball league of which Eric is the league president, and evidently my email address was mixed up with somebody else’s who now fields a team. Nonetheless, the email is intriguing. What exactly did happen at “the game against grace on the mount?” The league we used to play in was supposed to be “coed, non-competitive”, with the clear understanding that it wasn’t to be taken too seriously. Before the game started, league rules required a prayer, in which, generally speaking, we’d give God thanks for the ability to be there, ask God for protection that no one might get hurt, and to help us all to have fun and be good sports. Our team used to joke about our mission in the games was to help other teams feel good about themselves, which we succeeded in routinely, because we rarely won.

Apparently something went wrong in “the game against grace on the mount.” (I looked it up on the internet; “Grace on the mount” is a big, new non-denominational church in Netcong.) Evidently the league, represented by Eric, has been called upon to render a decision in a dispute between the two teams. Eric has heard Grace on the mount’s story; now he needs to hear the story from the opponents.

Since Eric signs his email, “In Christ”, it is clear that he is looking to Jesus for aid in rendering his decision. In this regard, I offer Eric this story recorded in Luke 12:13 – 15:

“Someone in the crowd said to (Jesus), ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you.’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.'”

I don’t think it would be a stretch to assume that Jesus would also want to say, “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of wins.” He might add (which in various forms he’s saying to all of us), “Get a life.”