Picking up from yesterday:
The Oakland A’s are the red-headed stepchild of San Francisco Bay Area sports when it comes to local media attention. Never mind how during their stay in the “other” city by the bay they’ve accomplished a feat never achieved by the Giants. Namely, win something. Four world championships, six American League pennants and fourteen American League West division championships as compared to zero world championships, three National League pennants and six National League West division championships. While contemplating the above, please note the Giants started playing in San Francisco ten years before the A’s came to Oakland. Nevertheless, when the Giants sneeze every newspaper and radio station in these parts reaches for a facial tissue and makes it a banner headline. The A’s could trade the entire team for the Yankees’ current roster plus cash along with moving Wrigley Field next to Lake Merritt and still be buried on page nine of an eight-page sports section.
Yet none of this genuinely matters to me. The A’s are my team.
Which leads to the point of yesterday and today’s illustration.
Those among us who believe are very much the Oakland A’s of this world. We’re not the glamor boys. We don’t get the pretty new toys to play with, or in the Giants’ case in as is the case with their ballpark as compared to Oakland’s. We don’t get the big bucks. We don’t get the attention. We don’t get the world’s love. We’re the uninvited guest.
Which is exactly as it should be.
We’re supposed to be these things. In fact, if we’re not these things we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing. It’s our calling, our obligation to go about our business regardless of whether it’s deemed appropriate or convenient or desired by others.
We do the work of loving and caring for others regardless. The world crows whenever a hypocrite or stumbler appears in our midst. We make no effort to hide these, acknowledging we all fail in some fashion every day. Yet even as the world screams about the many among us who attempt to make us a joke, we hold dear the many, many more never admitted to by the world whose lives are founded in actively lived out love. They make those clinging to self-created myths when it comes to believers as an excuse for avoiding the truth about what we believe victims of their own joke.
We light the candles and say the prayers and smile in the face of hostile reaction. We quietly, sadly chuckle at the hatred and anger thrown up on us by those who blame a God they don’t believe in for the ill fortunes of their existence, never seeing the fatal flaw in believing He should directly intercede on their behalf to prevent grief by directing how others live. Yet simultaneously, they insist their life is theirs and theirs alone to live as they see fit and how dare anyone on heaven or earth interject themselves into the manner with which they conduct their affairs.
We answer “how can you believe in a good and perfect God when there’s such evil in the world” with “how can we not believe in a good and perfect God when there’s also good in the world.” How can humanity with its propensity for evil also do that which is good? How can this selfsame humanity with its ability for hatred also love? You cannot have both coming from the same source. Written on humanity’s heart is the signature of its Creator calling it to reunite with the author of love Who is God, for God is love.
The world says how can humanity be created by God in His image yet be held accountable for its wrongdoing. We say how can humanity not be created by God in His image when He has provided the means to be absolved of its wrongdoing. If we were not created in His image, why would He care to this degree?
The world says how can a loving God condemn anyone to eternal torment. We say how can there not be a loving God when He willingly endured human agony on a level unimaginable and physically died so we might have a path to eternal blessing. No one has to go to hell. Heaven is available to all who reach out to Christ. He has made this possible. We are the ones who turn our backs on Him. Not the other way around.
The world says how can you identify with that ragtag team. We say how can we not.
Yeah, I’m an A’s fan.
Wouldn’t have it any other way.
P.S. Speaking of the uninvited guest…
[video http://www.diecast-dude.com/gac/Marillion_Uninvited_guest.flv "Uninvited Guest" -- Marillion nolink]
