Rainy Opening Day
Today is opening day in Cincinnati, Ohio. Though the opening day of the baseball season might not be such a big deal elsewhere in the world, in Cincinnati it is a HUGE deal. Cincinnati loves its baseball. We have the oldest major league baseball franchise and we celebrate it every year in a huge way; even on a day like today.
As I write this the outside temperature is 37 degrees. I even felt a little bit of sleet falling as I walked in from my car. By all accounts, this is not a great day for baseball, but that doesn’t seem to matter to anyone in Cincinnati. Like every year the great hoopla surrounding opening day continued, despite the weather. There was a parade, tv specials, and everywhere you go people are wearing their Reds gear.
Though I am a great lover of all sports I am not a huge fan of baseball, and because of this I haven’t really participated in any of the opening day festivities today. Sure, if the weather was awesome outside I might have gone to the parade, or a cookout or something that celebrates the event, but not when the situation is less than ideal. I guess you could say that I’m, quite literally, a “fair weather” fan.
Here’s what I’ve learned today as I’ve watched this city’s response to the sport they love. I’ve noticed that no matter how bad the situation looks or how uncomfortable it makes them, true followers of the game WILL continue to celebrate. If you haven’t guessed where I’m going yet then let me finish this thought….Even when things look difficult in the church, or less than ideal, true followers of Christ still show up and celebrate. It doesn’t matter if it’s inconvenient, or a bit uncomfortable for them they still show up to celebrate the grace and freedom that they have in Christ Jesus; they still do it. It doesn’t matter if service to the church or its mission adds to their already busy schedule; true followers make time.
I’ve been leaving you with a lot of questions this week and I want to continue that for at least one more post. Are you a committed follower of Christ, or simply a “fair weather” fan? The truth of our answers could be killing the church and we need to do something about it.
