Orthodox Reflections

Wisdom in Unexpected Places

Lessons From the Game

Once upon a time, before political statements during the national anthem and COVID, professional sports were fun to watch. With all that has gone on, now I’d rather watch a high school game any day of the week. Yet, as one who has coached youth sports, I still value the lessons sports teach us. As long as we don’t take it all too seriously. Sports are a microcosm of life, with triumphs, failures, and even injustices. But in sports, injustices are great tutors while being non-life threating.

Drawing an analogy with the great American pastime of baseball, some of our bishops are making a lot of unforced errors in their leadership navigating the ship through troubled waters. Here is what I mean:

Unforced Error #1: Invisible Loyalty

A great blow to pro baseball—as we know it— came a few years back with the “coach’s challenge” enabled by instant replay. No longer do team managers storm out onto the field (as often), get in the ump’s face and bless him out while kicking dirt on his shoes. After throwing his hat down, kicking it ten yards down the baseline, he was either ejected or walked back to the dugout. Now a disputed call is just reviewed on replay. Before replay, an ump’s call was never overturned. I never saw even one. So, what was the point of all this commotion?

Bottom line: it was for show—for the players and even for the fans. If an important game was on the line, and the players were frustrated by how things were going, this showmanship over a questionable call was a demonstration of solidarity for the players and fans. In coach-speak, this was his way of saying, “Yeah, I’m frustrated too!” Even more importantly, “I am not angry with my players even though I am frustrated with the way things are going.” This is how fathers communicate with their children in tough times.

At this point in the game, the Manager did not care whether the call was right or wrong. This was his time to show he was in it with his team. If he stood around and did nothing, people—players and fans alike—might start to wonder if his head were really in the game. Did he care at all? Was he looking out for the team? Every coach is a team member, but in baseball that is more obvious than other sports because he wears the same uniform as the players on the field.  His players’ success is his success. Their failure is his failure.

Inaction—when action is warranted—creates a void into which distrust fills. Worse yet, if the action of a leader seems against the team, then this is really confusing. The most basic questions for those who follow somebody in leadership, “Can this guy be trusted? Does he have my best interests at heart…or not?” These questions must be answered even before sorting out whether or not a leader is competent.

Imagine this if you will: during the World Series, an ump just blows a call—totally missed it in a way obvious to everyone. The rest of the team jumps to their feet in the dugout, yelling and shaking their heads. Imagine the Team Manager getting up in front of his team telling them to shut up, sit down, and that the ump “Made the right call”. How would that go over with the team? He just lost his team—he has broken trust. How would it go over with the fans?  Unless this manager finds some other way to earn his players trust, no matter what he says, it is not heard. At that point, it’s his time to find another profession.

…for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light (Luke 16:8b)

Unforced Error #2: Disparaging the Mothering Instinct

Among the gems of wisdom not yet found in the monastery, here is one found among married men—those who have managed to stay married for an extended period of time that is. It goes like this: “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” For the Church, this wisdom can be parsed practically (experientially), ethically (morally), and theologically (cosmologically).

While the Orthodox Church has, since the beginning, been governed by men, it is none-the-less a woman: The Woman. From the outside, the most pronounced feature of any canonical church is its dome. (Leaving aside temporary structures used out of necessity.) The dome should tell you everything you need to know about the nature of the Church. Underneath that dome is the womb that incubates all God’s children. We all suck her breast every time we take the Sacrament off the common spoon. “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, one spoon.” Like it or not, Mother Church runs on a feminine energy, and in many ways she is just like every other mother of reproductive age. To the point: hindering, annoying, stifling, or otherwise making life more difficult for any mother in her chore of child rearing is simply not a good idea. Not only does it insult women conscious of the mothering instinct, it also creates a spiritual dynamic that hinders the overall fruitfulness of the parish.

Bottom line: fruitfulness in a parish comes from two sources, 1. Women raising children, and 2. Catechumen converts. Both issue from the mothering well-spring of energy that makes our blessed mother-Church who and what she is; fruit bearing by nature. Disregarding it on any level is not conducive to church growth.

Rod and Staff

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me: Your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalms 22:4, bold added).

While David had many flaws, made many mistakes, and even committed outrageous crimes, God still honored him and we honor him as a saint. Why? Why did not his mistakes disqualify him from the throne and his unequivocal standing in the eternal covenant? Think about it. Morally, he was a fractured man. What was it about David, that outweighed his mistakes? It was because he understood shepherding to be about risking his very life for dumb, stupid creatures like sheep, going toe-to-toe with lions, (and tigers), and bears (oh, my!).

Mentioning both rod and staff, David is not being redundant; each has a different meaning. Of course, the rod is for guidance, correction, and maintaining order. Yet, the staff usually had a big hook on the end to lift sheep out of whatever crevice into which they had fallen. These are modeled as grace and truth that undergirds Christ’s throne. One speaks of governance, the other of mercy, healing, and nursing back to health. This rod and staff of David are re-embodied in the rod/staff every bishop carries with him—he is David’s successor among God’s people. Will he go toe-to-toe with a bear for me? Or will he run? His demonstration of commitment to me, I will unavoidably reflect back to him; that is just how it works.  

During this “pandemic” we have seen the rod. We’ve heard the directives, protocols, and even seen the alienation of some who know the difficulty of keeping diapers on some kids much less a mask. Now it is time to see the staff, that which retrieves people back into the fold. Now is the time to heal, pour in the balm, remake connections, reset relationships: it’s time for every bishop to find his inner Elijah.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse (Malachi 4:5,6 KJV; 3:22 OSB, bold added).

John, a member of the Orthodox Church in America from Colorado