Jesus and Baseball... An Easter Story

The other day was Easter.

As I was growing up, every year, around this time, I would hear my father explain to my brother, sisters and myself how "this is the most important holiday of the year... even more important than Christmas and Pulaski Day. [Insert knowing smile and a wink]" (My dad's so Polish, he burps and kolaches fly out... or not)

I completely understand why it is my father felt this way. Easter Sunday is the day Jesus triumphed. I've heard the stories, I've read the stories, I've seen the movie. Easter kicks Christmas's butt. Think about it... Jesus rises from the dead in one hand <==> Mary gives birth. Hmm, which one is more unusual?

But I will say this about Easter. Its kind of anti-climactic. Isn't it? I mean think about it. Throughout the entire Bible, we keep hearing about how this guy is going to come and do some crazy stuff. Then he does the crazy stuff. Then... what?

Going through Lent, which, I think is my favorite time of the year, and then seeing Easter elicits a weird feeling. Its like you know something big is happening... but you're not sure what it is.

I remember one time when I was little, I was listening to a Cubs game on the radio. [Yes, folks, yet another baseball metaphor.] It was the bottom of the 8th and Ryne Sandberg, the great Cubs 2nd baseman, had hit a home-run, a double and a bloop-single. That's right, folks. He had a chance to do what, literally, only a handful of men had ever done in the entire history of Major League Baseball. Hit for the "Cycle". Which is, to hit a single, a double, a triple and a Home-run in ONE game.

Ryne Sandberg steps up to the plate. Strike one!

Fart!

Strike two

Stink!

The third pitch comes and I hear the announcer yelp: "OMIGOD, OMIGOD!"

Harry Caray slurs: "huuuu-it could be... huuuuu-it might be.... Sandberg is on his huuu-orse!, he rounds first as the right fielder scrambles to the corner for the ba- ho my! He's rounding second! Here comes the throw.... hhhhhh-he's in thar! He did it! He did it! Holy Cow he did it!"

Now, I'm not exactly sure how to describe the feeling as I heard this. I could tell from the initial "Omigod" that whatever was happening, it was big. But I didn't know exactly what it was. The whole Easter season is kind of like that for me. We know something big is coming and we pretty much know from the crack of the bat what it is... but we're not exactly sure about the what, the where or the why.

And don't forget, this was only the 8th inning. There was still a whole inning yet to play. There was still work to do. How was anyone on the field supposed to be serious after that? This huge thing has just happened and you're expected to keep going as though nothing happened?

If you think that's crazy, how much worse must it have been in the days after Christ ascended into heaven? I'm talking about the days after the initial shock and awe had worn off. After the "afterglow" had begun to fade. How were the disciples able to deal with the fact that they were "it" for a while? I can tell you this Yankee would be a little overwhelmed. Guess its a good thing I was born now, no?

Anyways, that was just a thought.