I just read an insightful article by Joel Sherman of the NY Post about the contrast of Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera. The two in case you do not know’ play professional baseball for the NY Yankees.
Mariano is loved and is a man of class. In an age where Jesus and in particular His Way is despised, Mariano is loved and respected for being much like Jesus “on earth as it is in heaven. ”
A Rod on the other hand has been caught as one who lies and cheats by using performance enhancing drugs, so to make a truly great baseball player “even greater”? ? He ARod ,has been caught before lying about and using PEDs. The fans know this “all too well’.
Last night ARod had his first homecoming at Yankee Stadium because he has been seriously injured. His return coincides with a mass suspension given to 13 other players for getting caught using PEDS otherwise known as steroids.
ARod is the only one to protest his suspension. The irony is, ARods suspension is by far the most stringent and he is the only one playing after the suspension was given. ARod in defiance is making a legal appeal while the others are contrite.We live in a time where the standard for what is right and what is wrong is very subjective.
In an attempt to be’ fair ‘to everyone’s point of view we as a culture have disregarded the standard that is good for all.For instance ” thou shall not steal”. Would you like to be stolen from?There are 9 others plus……..like this one.
Though you may not see this printed by the main stream media, these truths transcend religion . They are generic for all humanity.Where in all heaven did this wisdom come from?
I want you to know how I love baseball, Yankee Stadium, and ARod.
There is in that man a frightened boy who as a man became a “winner at the losing game” ARod has lots of company, and some of us are losers ,losing at the losing game but playing the same losing game.
I say its time to quit. John Lennon once said in song,
“I just had to let it go”I saw much of that frustration in the faces of booing fans ,but instead of saying” I just had to let it go “were in effect saying ,” you Arod ,you let it go. ARoid… why don’t You quit……..my life will improve with You gone.”
I am not saying John Lennon is like Mariano living his life to reveal to reveal the identity of Jesus on the stage of mass entertainment.
I am saying that we” the people “from John Lennon to John Doe have a common need for justice and for a merciful Judge. These God moments may come and they go. If they just go …
We lose more than a game.
What John Lennon ,ARod, and Mariano have in common is they were born human . In the spirit of the adage everyone has” 15 minutes of fame” well, everyone also has a moment of real encounter with the real God.
Every player is wise to recognize his or her moment in Time.
These moments challenge us to simply quit what you know in the deepest chamber of your heart is not working…….and rediscover the …. wonderful “non game”. We one we
all need to play.
Don’t look at ARod look at what you look at. ” Where your treasure is where your heart will be also.”What Mariano brings to the game ..is..the blessed “non game”
He shows this more so than tells it. Its in the way he pitches, his delivery, the dignity in his body language, the way he respects the opponents he defeats. When he uses the words “thank God you know he speaks of Jesus . He cannot help but trace back to the One who lives His Life through the mortal man we know as Mariano’ the” great one.” The one who closes games and the pitcher with the most saves in baseball history.
Mariano is loved and is a man of class. In an age where Jesus and in particular His Way is despised, Mariano is loved and respected for being much like Jesus “on earth as it is in heaven. ”
A Rod on the other hand has been caught as one who lies and cheats by using performance enhancing drugs, so to make a truly great baseball player “even greater”? ? He ARod ,has been caught before lying about and using PEDs. The fans know this “all too well’.
Last night ARod had his first homecoming at Yankee Stadium because he has been seriously injured. His return coincides with a mass suspension given to 13 other players for getting caught using PEDS otherwise known as steroids.
ARod is the only one to protest his suspension. The irony is, ARods suspension is by far the most stringent and he is the only one playing after the suspension was given. ARod in defiance is making a legal appeal while the others are contrite.We live in a time where the standard for what is right and what is wrong is very subjective.
In an attempt to be’ fair ‘to everyone’s point of view we as a culture have disregarded the standard that is good for all.For instance ” thou shall not steal”. Would you like to be stolen from?There are 9 others plus……..like this one.
Though you may not see this printed by the main stream media, these truths transcend religion . They are generic for all humanity.Where in all heaven did this wisdom come from?
I want you to know how I love baseball, Yankee Stadium, and ARod.
There is in that man a frightened boy who as a man became a “winner at the losing game” ARod has lots of company, and some of us are losers ,losing at the losing game but playing the same losing game.
I say its time to quit. John Lennon once said in song,
“I just had to let it go”I saw much of that frustration in the faces of booing fans ,but instead of saying” I just had to let it go “were in effect saying ,” you Arod ,you let it go. ARoid… why don’t You quit……..my life will improve with You gone.”
I am not saying John Lennon is like Mariano living his life to reveal to reveal the identity of Jesus on the stage of mass entertainment.
I am saying that we” the people “from John Lennon to John Doe have a common need for justice and for a merciful Judge. These God moments may come and they go. If they just go …
We lose more than a game.
What John Lennon ,ARod, and Mariano have in common is they were born human . In the spirit of the adage everyone has” 15 minutes of fame” well, everyone also has a moment of real encounter with the real God.
Every player is wise to recognize his or her moment in Time.
These moments challenge us to simply quit what you know in the deepest chamber of your heart is not working…….and rediscover the …. wonderful “non game”. We one we
all need to play.
Don’t look at ARod look at what you look at. ” Where your treasure is where your heart will be also.”What Mariano brings to the game ..is..the blessed “non game”
He shows this more so than tells it. Its in the way he pitches, his delivery, the dignity in his body language, the way he respects the opponents he defeats. When he uses the words “thank God you know he speaks of Jesus . He cannot help but trace back to the One who lives His Life through the mortal man we know as Mariano’ the” great one.” The one who closes games and the pitcher with the most saves in baseball history.
The values that have been relegated for the religious only and their “the outlawed religion” are being valued in a man who espouses what is severely being rejected in our time.True Christianity,christian worldview,an its author and finisher. Yes Yeshua the Messiah the truly Great Closer of All Time and Times.
We see in Mariano a Character and we value this in part because its only a ball game.
If we called it Christian we would hate it, ..but when we see it played out, especially in contrast to cheating and lying we cry out for Gods honest Truth.
Mariano is the set up man for The Saviour.
The real non game. The one you truly want to play. No previous experience necessary.
If I could get this message to ARod I would . What I would say I say to you.
Come on out let’s play the non game. Let’s play 2
