“Repping” for Jesus
Dan Kunz
With the Major League Baseball All-Star Game scheduled for Tuesday, July 11, I thought the topic of baseball would be appropriate for this blog. I’ve been in love with the game of baseball as long as I can remember. The small town in which I grew up had a Little League with a number of teams and I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to play. Unlike my grandkids, who have pretty much every piece of baseball paraphernalia known to man, my arsenal included a glove and a T-shirt! (No, we didn’t have to chase dinosaurs off the field before we could play, but they hadn’t left too long before that.)
At first, my mom wasn’t too excited for me to play, because she thought I might get hurt. (I was the baby of the family.) When she finally decided it was okay and my father signed the required permission form, I was ecstatic. My baseball “career” ended many years later, after coaching high school baseball for twenty-four years. I still love it and, although I don’t like many of the changes which have come to the professional game over the years, it’s still difficult for me to pass up a game on TV.
In 1973 George Steinbrenner purchased the New York Yankees. In 1976, he instituted a policy which is still in effect today, 38 years later. Yankee players may not have hair which touches their collar. They may have mustaches, but no other facial hair. Over the years, a number of players have balked (pun intended) at the idea, and some have even refused to be traded to the Yankees, but, for the most part, they have taken it in stride. Steinbrenner’s rationale for the restrictions was a desire to have his team be clean-cut and represent both the city of New York and himself, in the best possible way. That’s not an uncommon desire for those who take pride in their organization.
Ultimately, our viewpoint toward Jesus should be the same. We, as his brothers and sisters, represent him every moment of our lives. We should strive to do it well, the very best we can.
Several months ago, I met a young man who was a former Christian but is now a professed agnostic. I believe the main reason for the abandonment of his faith has been the poor representation of Christians in his life. Sadly, his own mother has been one of them! When Christians are poor ambassadors for Christ, people question why they should follow him. Would you buy a Chevrolet from a salesperson who drives a Ford? Probably not. Christians who are mean-spirited, judgmental (in the wrong way), unloving, or aloof, are not representing Jesus. Striving to be like Jesus, not just by keeping the Ten Commandments, but also in a Christ-like attitude of love and compassion, is our goal.
The old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar,” certainly has validity here. Why would someone want to find out more about Jesus? Hopefully, it’s because we represented him well. II Corinthians 19b-20 …and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.