From the Pastor
After the Boston Red Sox won the World Series last October, I read about George Sumner. He was on his deathbed in October and at the time things didn’t look too good for his beloved Red Sox either. They were down three games to none to the hated Yankees. Another season was about to end in frustration and heartache. George Sumner’s family suspected he was holding on to life just to see if this could be the year the Sox finally won it all. And, against all odds, they did just that. Incredibly they came back to win four straight from the Yankees, and then swept the Cardinals to win the Series. George Sumner whispered, “Yippee!” and died the day after the Series ended. He had at last seen the victory he wondered if he would ever live to see. Sports Illustrated, which reported on the vigil of George Sumner, also reported that many Boston fans celebrated the Series victory by visiting the graves of family members, an acknowledgment of a shared communion of hope across the generations.
Being a sports fan myself, I have to be careful about taking this analogy too far, but it just might be that the faithfulness of a George Sumner can mirror the mysteries at the heart of faith. In the words of Christian Century magazine, “For the faithful, often disappointed, but ever hopeful fan, as for the believer in God’s coming kingdom, the trials of each season are not discrete episodes, but part of a continuing narrative. The names of the players change, but the cause remains constant, renewed in each generation. For the faithful fan, as for the believer, the coming of the kingdom is ultimately out of one’s hands. Yet this does not deter one from watching and praying and doing all that one can to make it happen.”
As a people of faith we keep hoping, keep loving, keep working for justice and peace, keep striving for forgiveness and reconciliation because, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary, we continue to believe in the promise that this is the shape of God’s future, indeed that God is already at work among us bringing the promise to reality. Even in the face of disappointment and unfulfilled hopes, we do not give up. Yes, the cause remains constant, renewed in each generation.
Are our hopes futile? Do we deceive ourselves? Can a future fulfillment erase all the excruciating errors that went before? Will a final victory ease the pain of so many failures, so many ignominious losses? In the words of Christian Century, “It doesn’t make logical sense, but it seems to happen that way. Ask any Red Sox fan.”
Gene
