From Law to Grace

Greg;s collection of CHicago Cubs cards

Our family loves major league baseball. Since moving to Washington State twenty-one years ago, we have become major Mariners fanatics. They are our favorite American League team. Win or lose, we are loyal fans.

When it comes to the National League, we love the Chicago Cubs. The fact that Matthew Boyd, one of Cubs’ starting pitchers, grew up in our church on Mercer Island is frosting on the cake. And yet long before Matt signed with Chicago, we cheered for the “Lovable Losers.”  But our history of fandom includes another team. Would you believe the Oakland Athletics?

It’s true! All three of our daughters began running the human race in northern California near to where the Athletics played. The Coliseum is where we introduced our girls to major league baseball. In fact, they have an A’s cap autographed by then-manager Tony LaRussa. Our oldest has a signed photo of herself standing with A’s legend Mark McGwire. And our youngest has a certificate indicating that on May 1, 1991 she was at a home game in which the A’s hosted the New York Yankees where Rickey Henderson broke Lou Brock’s all-time stolen base record. Sadly, Lauren doesn’t remember the game. But, then again, she was only six months old at the time.

In 1994 when our family moved from the Bay Area to Chicagoland, Wrigley Field became holy ground for “the A-Team.” Seattle native Ron Santo (Frankin High School alum) was the Cubs’ color commentator on WGN radio. Sammy Sosa was attempting to become the new home run king and Cubs’ pitching ace Kerry Wood was striking out batters right and left. Literally. In 2003 our hearts broke when “foul ball boy” interfered with a ball in Wrigley Field when the Cubs were on the cusp of going to their first World Series in decades. The interference resulted in a lost game and losing the National League Championship Series. When we moved to Washington State in 2005, our love of the Cubbies came with us.

Truth be told, my fascination with the Cubbies dates back to when I began collecting baseball cards as a kid. And my baseball card collection has an impressive number of Cubs players. They include Ernie Banks, Andre Dawson, Chris Speier, Dennis Eckersley, Rick Sutcliffe, Gary Matthews, Shawon Dunston and Ryne Sandberg. And of course, there’s my autographed Matt Boyd card!

But of all my Cubs cards, I especially treasure my Vance Law (Cubs third baseman) and Mark Grace (Cubs first baseman), both of whom played for the Northsiders in the late eighties. The reason those particular cards are special to me is the fact that they help illustrate a doctrinal truth that is at the center of Christianity.

As a pastor I enjoy finding creative ways to convey the message of the Gospel. And baseball players with the names of Law and Grace serve me well. Imagine with me the Los Angeles Dodgers playing the Cubs at Wrigley Field on a summer afternoon in 1988. I can hear the Cubs’ play-by-play announcer Harry Carray in my mind. “It’s the top of the ninth inning. There are two outs. The Cubs lead by one run, but the Dodgers have runners on second and third. A base hit will bring in two runs and give the Dodgers the lead. The batter lays down a bunt along the third base line. Law charges in and fields the ball cleanly. He throws to Grace to end the inning and the game. Cubs win! Cubs win! Holy Cow!”

Law to Grace to end the game! Now that’s what we Christians believe about how we are made right with our Creator. Recognizing that we flawed sinful humans can never fully keep God’s law, we celebrate God’s grace that provides a solution for our dilemma. In Jesus, who we believe to be God incarnate, a sinless life became a spotless sacrifice that bridges the gulf between a holy God and imperfect humanity. We win!

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