In Brooklyn, New York, Shush is a school that caters to learning disabled children. Some children remain in Shush for their entire school career, while others can be mainstreamed into conventional schools. At a Shush fundraising dinner, the father of a Shush child delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attend.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, “Where is the perfection in my son Shaya?” Everything God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is God’s perfection? The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father’s anguish and stilled by the piercing query. “I believe,” the father answered, “that when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that he seeks is the way people react to this child.”
Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shaya was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shaya didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it. However, as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya should least be able to make contact. The first pitch came in and Shaya swung and missed. One of Shaya’s teammates came up to Shaya and together held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya.
As the pitch came in, Shaya and his teammate swung at the bat and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, “Shaya, run to first. Run to first.” Never in his life has Shaya run to first. He scampered down the baseline wide-eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was still running. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher’s intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head. Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second.” Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home.
As Shaya reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, “Run to third.” As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, “Shaya, run home.” Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him a hero, as he just hit a “Grand Slam” and won the game for his team.
“That day,” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “those 18 boys reached their level of God’s perfection.” More than just a cute story, I think this is what we are called as disciples to be everyday: rooting for one another everyday, making our dreams possible and realizing we are all connected together through the incredible act of God’s creation.
Our Lenten journey is near upon us. Our theme or focus will be: Woven Together: Fabrics of Faith. Maybe this powerful season which begins Wednesday, February 14th and extends until Maundy Thursday on March 29th is a time given to us to help us reflect that God’s perfection in this world is attainable and reachable by ALL OF US if we but lean on each other and lift one another up. The question of Shaya “Do you think they will let me play” reminds me of the response I am called to by God in this world to others. Do I help enable God’s perfection or prevent it from happening? How will this Lent challenge you to consider that we truly do need each other and that we can reflect God’s goodness and perfection in our response to one another?
There is no better place to know, see, hear and feel God’s perfection than when we are together in worship. Recommit yourself to coming to the place where we lift each other and reflect the perfection of God. For a brief moment when we worship together, we do really reflect all that is good and holy. Like the boys who welcomed Shaya to the baseball game and enabled him to know perfection, we too are invited to give and receive this colorful display of God’s love. Come. Come back. Sunday mornings at 9:00am something special happens that we all need in our lives. And during Lent we will offer a simple worship on Wednesdays at 6:15pm following our soup suppers. So come. And then come back. Lastly, think about ONE person in your life who desperately needs to know God’s perfection and then do something about it.
Let’s reach our level of God’s perfection together,
~PJ