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)
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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
How is it that no one seems to understand the ontological nature of being in communion with a Bishop. Everyone’s Bishop is in communion with Bartholomew and John X and Elpidiphorus and all the rest of the Ecumenist/Sergianists. At every Liturgy you are proclaiming to God that these are right believing Bishops. Your Bishops are all on the hook as well because they are silent about the ecclesiological crimes being committed now and for a century. Please Wake Up!
I’m afraid to say that none of this event is finished. It has only begun. This is really an agenda to force a long planned new world order on humanity (which I recall someone say ‘this is neither new nor order’). We need to be praying daily for our priests and Bishops that they will be given the wisdom, understanding, faith and love to guide us as this agenda unfolds. There has already been far too much compromise.
I have one consolation. I’m glad I’m at the age I am. I have more years behind me than I have ahead of me. Perhaps when things get real bad I’ll be gone.
Worse, they lack the spiritual insight to see this is all about the implementation of the Mark of the Beast. But….maybe this is because of the precocious situation of the Book of Revelation in Eastern Orthodoxy?
Lots of Orthodox bishops, priests and monks talk extensively about Revelations and the anti-Christ. The quotes below are from Patriarch Kirill:
“Nothing like this could have happened in the past. Human thought, technical civilization today have reached a level where, by implementing digital technologies, it is possible to ensure total control over the human person. Not just observing a person, but managing human behaviour.”
He reminded that the book of Apocalypse speaks of total control over the person, accompanied by the coming of the antichrist.
“These words are not used there, but it is quite clear from the content that we are talking about the ability to totally control human behaviour,” said the Primate of the ROC. “It says that the seal of the antichrist will be placed on a person’s forehead, and without this seal, it will be impossible to buy, sell or participate in any social relations – a person will be doomed.”
According to him, the devil is not in the form of a villain, but in the form of an angel of light (see 2 Cor. 11:14), and the coming into the world of the antichrist will be accompanied by the appearance of an amazing man who, by his intellectual power and influence will be able to bring humanity out of the crises in which it has fallen. This person will suggest that in order for all crime to leave our lives, let us be guided by the fact that each person has a key to everything he/she needs. For example, it can be a card – you apply it and get access to food, education, and if you do not have this card, then everything is lost.”
The head of the ROC explained that he cited the example of the Apocalypse and the Antichrist, “to convince those people who may not have thought about it yet, that the maximum development of total control over man means slavery, and everything will depend on who will be the master of these slaves.”
“That is why the Church is categorically against the use of digital technologies in ensuring total control over the human person,” said Patriarch Kirill.
Earlier, the Synod of ROC declared that the use of digital identifiers and wide collection of personal data has to be controlled by the society and the Church as a public institution.
If these bishops folded so easily over this mask mandate, I have little hope they will stand up if something more draconian comes down the road. Bart is lost to this world, and he is taking many down with him. Glory to God for all things in that I became a ROCOR refugee.
A refugee from ROCOR, or in ROCOR. Where are you going to church?
Christ is risen! Unfortunately, Nelson, ROCOR buckled immediately to the mask mandates, closures, sign up lists, and capacity limits, as well as cessation of trapeaza, sending prosphora to the alter, and stopping the reverence of icons and the chalice. Sunday school in many parishes was stopped as well. I could mention the wacko distribution covid accommodations of Holy Communion as well, but I won’t. That one thing seemed to be the only thing the bishops addressed. For decades we were lectured about Sergianism, and now look at us. What have we learned? Governors in many states are ALLOWING places of worship to get back normal, but the damage is done. The bishops may well sweep this under their round rugs and think, “well, that’s over and we got through it.” I don’t know about that because there’s a giant pink elephant in the churches now. Hopefully there are churches that weren’t affected by this evil insanity, and if you’re in one of those jewels, that’s wonderful. Pray for the rest of us.
M,
Completely agree. There were indeed a few of those precious jewels here in the States. We were able to go to one a couple of times but we had to drive 5 hours to get there. Totally worth it though. It was so refreshing to see few, if any people wearing masks and everything functioning normally. We are currently attending a closer parish now that restrictions have been lifted, but they will never have my complete trust. As you said, what if something worse comes?
How is it that no one seems to understand the ontological nature of being in communion with a Bishop. Everyone’s Bishop is in communion with Bartholomew and John X and Elpidiphorus and all the rest of the Ecumenist/Sergianists. At every Liturgy you are proclaiming to God that these are right believing Bishops. Your Bishops are all on the hook as well because they are silent about the ecclesiological crimes being committed now and for a century. Please Wake Up!