Lessons from America’s Past Time
Baseball is without a doubt my favorite sport in the entire world. It is the American pastime. A matter of fact this evening I am watching my first game of the year, Penn State versus WVU. I love the smell of a freshly mowed field, the beauty of the sandlot, the sound a ball makes off a wooden bat, or the snap of a fastball in a catcher's glove. Or to hear the crowd roar over a homerun, or boo over a missed call. The taste of a hotdog or nachos at a ballpark is superior to that of a five star restaurant. It's a seventh inning stretch, singing take me out to the ball game. Most boys dreamed of playing in the big leagues. We played little league pretending to be our favorite ball player. For me it also meant moments with my dad, which were far and between at times. It meant my grandfather watching my only game when I hit a homerun. Baseball to me is as America as red, white, and blue or apple pie.
Baseball has had a lot of heroes over the course of time. One of them being Jackie Robinson. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers and changed history. He broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier, something that had stood unchallenged for decades. But what made Jackie remarkable wasn’t just that he played or the sheer incredible numbers that he put up, but instead it was how he played. Before Robinson ever put on a Dodgers uniform, Branch Rickey, the general manager for the Dodgers, asked him a question that would define his legacy: “Do you have the guts not to fight back?” That’s not the kind of strength most men are taught to admire. We’re wired to defend ourselves. To respond. To push back when disrespected. But Robinson’s assignment was different. He would be insulted, threatened, spiked on the field, and hated off of it, and he was asked to endure it without retaliation. That’s not weakness. That’s controlled strength.
The world defines manhood by power, dominance, and the ability to win a fight, and to some degree that seems to be somewhat of the defining marks of a man, but Scripture paints a deeper picture. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty (Proverbs 16:32)." Notice that it doesn't say that a man shouldn't be a defender or a protector of his family. O' no. I would defend my family with my life if I need to. We are talking about reacting out of sheer emotion, losing our cool, reacting in a way that does not honor Christ. Robinson lived that out in real time. He absorbed hatred without letting it turn into bitterness. He stayed focused on the mission when it would have been easier to react emotionally, and beloved friend, I can't tell you how hard that must have been. That kind of restraint doesn’t come from personality. It comes from purpose.
Jackie understood something many men miss, his life wasn’t just about him. Every at-bat, every stolen base, every moment of composure was paving the way for someone else. His willingness to carry the weight created opportunity for generations to come. That’s biblical leadership, a trait that is sadly lacking in men. Men are taught about masculinity, but not taught about godliness. We worship men who play a game, who can lift weights, all while ignoring the perfect man, the God Man, Jesus Christ. A man is created to love others, to pour himself out for other people. To empty himself as it were. Philippians 2:4 says “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The interests of others stands out to me. Men, we aren't just built for careers, we are built for legacy. The decisions you make today echo into your family, your church, and the people watching you who may never say a word. This rings especially true for widower men who have children at home.
There were moments Robinson could have justified fighting back. And maybe no one would have blamed him. To be fair with you people egged him on in hopes of getting a reaction. Newspaper reporters were ready to write smear articles against Jackie. They wanted to paint him as a hot head or unable to handle the pressure of the game. But he chose restraint not because he couldn’t respond, but because he answered to something higher. That’s where this hits home. There are moments in your life where you can say something but you shouldn’t, and if you do you live with the heavy weight of regret and shame. There are moments where you can prove your point but it would cost your witness and your testimony. Moments where you can react but God is calling you to respond differently. The Lord isn't asking you to respond emotionally, but spiritually. James tells us “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” Silence, in the right moment, isn’t weakness. It’s obedience. Sometimes that silence speaks louder then words.
We don’t need more men who react and respond with frustration and anger. We need men who are anchored. Men who don’t lose themselves when pressure rises. Men who understand that real strength isn’t proven in comfort but in conflict. Jackie Robinson didn’t just break a barrier in baseball. He modeled a kind of manhood that still challenges us today. A man who could have fought but chose purpose. A man who endured but didn’t harden. A man who changed the world not just with his talent, but with his character.
Every man will face moments where he’s tested not by what he can do, but by what he chooses not to do. This speaks true for widowers. Men who are tired and worn out. It's hard to keep showing up again and again. You are literally giving out of a empty jug. You want to respond sometimes, you want to react sometimes, but instead you choose the high road, the path less taken, the one more like our Savior. That’s where legacy is built. That’s where faith becomes visible. And that’s where real strength is revealed.
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