Today’s find: Power hitter

The Baseball HOF didn’t trust me with a bat in my hands, I noticed.

While I was encouraged to strike my “best baseball pose” for a set of vintage freebie baseball cards bearing my likeness, there were no bats or balls or mitts provided in the HOF photo kiosk, to add just a smidgen of authenticity.

And so I resolved to make do, gripping an iPhone instead of a Louisville Slugger for my “power hitter” stance.

Just as well, I suppose. While I’m certain I could still “do some damage” with a bat (as all those Baseball Brains are so fond of putting it today), the tally would likely be measured not in RBIs or OPS, but in broken lenses and strained tendons.

Alas, I suppose my enshrinement in the Hall of Fame will simply have to wait for another day.

This ol’ dude certainly has some holes in his swing…

As far as I know, the same could be said for every single person who reads this blog. None of us is destined for Baseball Immortality. But as I spent a few quiet moments with scripture in recent days, I realized that we have – all of us – received the promise of a call to the Big Leagues of evangelization.

That’s what Jesus says on the feast of the Ascension. We’re now counting down the days until Pentecost…as we mark a conclusion to the Easter season in 2022. And as part of our preparation, Jesus advises us to get ready to do some slugging on his behalf. In fact, we hear it twice – first, in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles:

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

…and then again, in the gospel passage from Luke:

“You are witnesses of these things. And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Frankly, it always seems like a bit of a mystery – why Jesus would entrust such an important task…to a broken-down ol’ hack like me.

But that’s just the thing. It’s not my decrepit swing I’m bringing to the plate, is it?

The bat is actually in the hands of the Holy Spirit – so what the heck? I might as well just swing for the fences!

Batter up!

Let us pause now…to recall that we are in the presence of the Holy & Merciful One.

IHS