Texas East was clinging to a 3-2 lead against Oklahoma in the Southwest Region Championship of the Little League World Series. With runners on second and third base, the pitcher, Kaiden Shelton, wound up and let the ball fly.
The pitch missed its mark. Instead of connecting with the catcher’s mitt, it struck Isaiah Jarvis, the batter, near his head. Isaiah’s helmet absorbed the impact, but the force of the misguided pitch knocked him to the ground.
After coaches helped him to his feet, Isaiah was allowed a free walk to first base.
Isaiah was okay, but as he glanced toward the pitcher’s mound from first base, he could see Kaiden was not. The pitcher stood in tears holding his head in his hand.
At that moment, Isaiah didn’t see an opponent who had almost hurt him. He saw another human being who needed encouragement after his mistake.
Without saying a word, Isaiah tossed his batting helmet in the dirt and walked toward Kaiden. In an unforgettable scene, Isaiah hugged Kaiden and spoke words of encouragement to him.
After the game, Kaiden commented on Isaiah’s kind gesture, “I felt really bad. And so, whenever he walked up to the mound and hugged me, it really helped me. And that’s when I realized that baseball, it teaches life lessons.”
For a few moments, Isaiah and Kaiden taught the entire world a lesson that some things are more important than the outcome of a competition.
The Distraction of Winning at All Costs
Winning is a good thing. But it becomes a distraction when we make it the main thing. People are always more important.
As we view the important issues of our times, we may play on opposing teams like Isaiah and Kaiden. We may have different perspectives on race, politics, war, the economy, law enforcement, and a number of social and humanitarian causes. It is common for us to view “the other team” as opponents or even enemies. Once this happens, the other team becomes a problem to fix instead of a person to love. In our efforts to win, we become distracted from what is most important.
Compassion’s X-Ray Vision
Beneath the issues we fight over, and on the other side of the walls we build, there are people. People with eternal souls who need Jesus. It takes wisdom — and genuine compassion — to see what is most important. You might say compassion has X-ray vision.
Compassion sees needs and seizes the opportunity to meet them. It walks toward others. It meets them where they are. It extends a hand. It wipes a tear. It offers a warm embrace to a hurting heart. It gives freely without thought of return. It shows kindness. It combines truth with love. It proclaims the gospel.
Where compassion lives, fighting ends and walls come down.
Standing on Common Ground
Maybe your biggest challenge is not with unbelievers on the other team, but with other Christians on your team. You go to the same church or school, but have different political views. She’s conservative, and you’re liberal. He votes Republican, and you vote Democrat. She supports one political candidate; you prefer someone else. Or you have different tastes in worship music. He likes contemporary songs, while you prefer traditional music. She likes to dress casual in church, while you prefer more formal clothes.
How can we learn to play well together in the Body of Christ if we are so different?
The Early Church had significant differences they had to work through. Believers disagreed on race (Jewish nationals vs. Gentiles and Samaritans), politics (allegiance to Rome vs. Israel), social class, women’s roles in the church, religious practices and more.
There is no way people who were so different could ever get along — unless they learned that there was something more important than their differences.
The fact is, these believers shared something important in common: They had been saved by grace through faith in Jesus. They had joined a new family because of Jesus. They had direct access to God because of Jesus. Having Jesus in common was more important than anything else. They stood on common ground. Knowing this changed everything.
As long as we live on this planet, we will disagree with others. May we avoid the distraction of winning at all costs. Instead, let’s see through Compassion’s eyes what is most important. Underneath all the issues, there is another person who needs love. They are someone for whom Jesus died. Instead of treating them like enemies, let’s show them we want them on our team.
Article by Cam Edwards
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