It Ain’t Over

Last Wednesday evening the World Series finally came to an end as Philadelphia won over Tampa Bay in what might have been the longest World Series game ever. Technically, it started Sunday evening. Anyway, I was struck by an image I saw shortly after the last pitch was tossed. It was of the Philadelphia bench as the players and coaches watched the last pitch. They were obviously very tense and that tension turned to elation as the final out was made.

What struck me was the tension as they watched that last pitch. They might have had hope, but they didn’t know for sure that it was the last pitch. That’s the wonderful thing about baseball. No matter how far ahead one team is, it’s not over until that last out is made. There is always a chance of a comeback until that very last pitch.

That is, I think, how it is with God. There is always a chance of a comeback. There is always a chance that we will say, “yes” to God’s invitation to be in relationship with the Divine. It’s never too late. No matter how far behind we might feel, no matter how little we feel we deserve God’s love, it ain’t over.

In the Eucharistic prayer today it says, “in the multitude of your saints you have surrounded us with so great a cloud of witnesses, that we, rejoicing in their fellowship, may run with patience the race that is set before us, and together with them receive the crown of glory that never fades away.”

That “great cloud of witnesses” represents all the people we know, the famous Saints and the people in our own lives who have helped us on our journey of faith. And the “race” we run is one in which it is God’s hope that we will cross the finish line “together.” The “crown of glory” means that in God’s realm even a bunt is like a home run. Jesus Christ won the World Series for us. Thanks be to God.