The Church of Baseball

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

~ Psalm 23

I am but a small man. Compared to the LORD I am nothing. Through the business of life, school, heart, family, it is easy to lose sight of the LORD. Yet He constantly watches over us, whether we are aware or not. It’s funny how I pray everyday for him to be with me, with us, and to guide us because even if I don’t pray for his presence, He is still there. This is not to say one has no need to pray for his presence. On the contrary, the act of praying for him restores my soul.

Remember the line from Field of Dreams where Terrance Mann says, “And they’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters”? No? Well, I do. It’s about baseball, but I am convinced W.P. Kinsella (the novelist of Shoeless Joe, on which the movie is based) thought to himself, “Hrm…Psalm 23:2…” as he wrote that line. And I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Annie Savoy claims she belongs to the Church of Baseball in Bull Durham. In many ways, the beauty, ritual and nation of baseball resemble a church. It teaches discipline, deals with ethics, each team develops it’s own adapted philosophy, and there’s even the Eucharist of the beer and hot dog. The point is that in the hubbub of daily life, we take time out to watch a baseball game, commune with friends and family (or even in solitude), and meditate on the intra-workings of a higher order than ourselves; in that timeout, as we survey the green grass of the outfield and sit beside the flowing white chalk foul line, our souls become restored.

It is the same with the Lord. When we take the time to study and speak to him, commune with our congregation and family (or in solitude), and pray and question the intra-workings of his kingdom, Psalm 23 happens. The LORD is always shepherding; it’s just up to us to take the time to close our eyes and open our hearts.