Ok so it doesn't have to be a baseball game, but there is something magical about attending a sporting event. Not because of the ridiculously over-priced food, large crowds of people (unless you are attending a Florida Marlins or Kansas City Royals game), or the obnoxious fans that are rooting for the opposing team, although all of those add to the magic of a sporting event. No, what I am talking about is when you are one of those obnoxious opposing team fans. I mean you don't even have to be so obnoxious to stand up and cheer, jeer, and mock the home team when your team is winning, but just wearing your team's jersey with pride in a stadium packed with haters or having a prideful hop in your step when your team wins is obnoxious enough.
At this point you might be asking, Mackensey, get to the point, how is being an obnoxious fan ever magical? Well, I have not gotten to the magical part yet. So, let's say you are an Angel fan and you walk into Wrigley Field proudly wearing your red Angel jersey. Now the Cubs and the Angels aren't major rivals, there really is no bad blood between them, just a regular day at the ball park, but the magic still remains. The magic that I am talking about is a simple smile, eye contact, or high five from a person who is also proud enough to strut his or her Angels' jersey in Wrigley.
It is so strange and interesting to me that when you are a minority fan, rooting against the home team, other minority fans flock to you. There is some unspoken brotherhood between fans of the same team, especially if you put them in a stadium where they are few and far between. Yes, when you are in the majority at your home field there is still a sense of camaraderie and there might be a high five here and there, but the magic in the act fades because it is taken for granted.
When you are a fan in the minority, it doesn't matter where you are from, how much money you make, the color of your skin, or what your political opinions are, because, if you are wearing that jersey proudly, you are the good guy to other obnoxious fans. If only this kind of loyalty could be seen outside the ballpark, no matter what team you root for, but after the game we all shed our jerseys and with it put back on our prejudices. Everyone becomes white, black, Hispanic, poor, rich, Catholic, Muslim, unemployed, instead of who we are: people. So if you haven't already, put on your team's jersey and experience the magic.
2 comments:
Or think of our lives as repented sinners and creations made new by grace, in a world still full of sins and brokenness. We are the obnoxious Christians in a world of conformity and hate (and many - even some Christians - would argue that the world is otherwise), called to be people that the world misunderstands and even hates. It is an repentance that is considered offensive by those who do not believe in man's inherently brokenness, and an identity considered foolish by cynics who do not believe in grace. The magic is our common suffering and worship in a pilgrimage, and the reward is Heavenly vindication. It's probably the only ball game you go to where you are guaranteed victory.
Indeed, the imago dei, Image of God and the only thing left good in man, dignified enough to love despite differences. Further, to love the rest of mankind, the profane that lust for war and division. Love for them does not mean flattery—allowing the unjust to swell in their sin and rebellion–since flattery is no true love at all. If sin is the toxin eroding our world and dividing our souls from God and each other, truest love not only embraces shared Image, but speaks to the sin in hopes to share Righteousness. Broken image, fullness in Christ.
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