So we awaken today to the news that the Chicago Cubs are World Series champions! That's the second championship to visit the city of Chicago in this century, which in a humorous kind of way, is twice as many as we have here in Texas in the existence of our franchises.
A friend of mine posted on Facebook that Charlie Brown never got to kick the football because Lucy always managed to successfully pull it back in every frame that famous relationship was shown, and with winning the series, the Cubs would no longer be the Charlie Browns of baseball, the lovable losers. Well, the Cubs kicked the football last night in a game that Hollywood couldn't script. Game 7, extra-innings, rain delay, with odds against the eventual victor before the game started (baseball metrics types had all the stats that told you why the Cubs wouldn't win the game). It had it all.
What metrics (statistics on steroids) can't measure is spirit. Spirit, the element that is as true as oxygen in the air but just as invisible, gives us life. We speak of spirit in sports terms. We recognize spirit by saying things in life about the spirit of the agreement, the spirit of the effort, and the spirit behind the entire event. The Cubs, the fans, and the nation to a large degree (except the hard of heart who just don't like the Cubs), those who love baseball and those outside of baseball, were caught up in the spirit of the series and the possibility of the Cubs winning.
We speak of spirit in faith, our own faith. The Holy Spirit comes to us in our baptism and writes faith on our hearts. We speak of spirit in terms of our faith. A familiar psalm refers to both beautifully as David writes, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me, the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." (51:10 - 12)
We receive God's Spirit in our sacraments. We ask for God's Spirit to be with us and renew us, to give us strength. We ask for God's Spirit to restore our spirit.
Hope Men's Ministry
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