As a kid I was good at baseball. The problem was I wasn’t that good at. I had a weak arm and was even weaker at the plate. When I was at bat they used to move the outfielders in so if I happened to bloop one over the second baseman’s head they could throw me out at first. It was embarrassing, if you know what I mean. But what I was good at was being able to rattle off baseball stats. Name a player and I could tell you a player’s batting average, home runs, and RBIs. I learned that from collecting base ball cards.
We’d ride our bikes to Ready’s Dairy Store. For a nickel, you’d get three baseball cards and a stick of bubble gum What a deal! And then we’d swap cards. I’ll trade you a Mickey Mantle for a Duke Synder.
These guys were our heroes.
But there was one baseball card I now wish I had. He was the shortstop for the old Brooklyn Dodgers. So, the story about him goes like this. It was the opening day of the baseball season. The year was 1947. Jackie Robinson, the first black African American in major league baseball was making his debut. As he trotted out to take his position there was loud booing from fans in the stands.
As time went on the boos grew louder, and louder, and then even louder. Meanwhile, amid the booing the shortstop made his way over to where Robinson stood.
As they met, the shortstop embraced his teammate. There they were, the two of them, a black man embraced by a white man. The booing continued, but the shortstop wouldn’t let go of his teammate.
It was clear that the game wasn’t going begin until the booing stopped. Only then would they get on with the game. Gradually, the booing subsided and the stadium grew quiet. And there they stood, two players on the field still embracing each other.
That was the day that racism in America revealed itself for what it is. But that was also the day that America was shown what is needed to heal the wounds of racism.
The man who had the courage to stand with Jackie Robinson that day was a player by the name of Pee Wee Reese. I’ve had a lot of heroes following baseball. But of all my heroes, Pee Wee Reese may be the greatest of them all. Thinking about that story I’ve wondered if I would have the courage of a Pee Wee Reese? I can only pray that I do when it’s time for me to stand for what is right.
Today we heard the parable of the sower and the seed. Whether we know it or not, we are the sowers of the seed. Every day we sow seeds that either bring us together or drive us apart. Care, compassion, and courage unite us. Greed, selfishness, and fear divide us.
What seeds are you and I going to sow this week? Have the courage of a Pee Wee Reese. No matter how insignificant you feel you are, scatter seeds of good will whenever you can. And then trust that God will make them grow into something beautiful, not just in you and me, but in the world we’re called to serve.