From My Perspective - - -

The headlines announced that Derek Jeter became the first New York Yankee’s player to achieve 3,000 hits in his career – only the 28th player in the history of baseball to do so – and he did it in a dramatic way by getting five hits in the game on July 9th, 2011. The fifth – and 3,000th hit – was a home run. There is another part to this story – Christian Lopez – the young man who caught that home run ball in the left field stands. He had a choice to make. He could hold onto the ball and sell it to the highest bidder. As we know, Lopez decided to give the ball to Jeter. In return, Lopez got four suite tickets for every Yankees home game for the rest of the season and a collection of signed bats and balls. In some quarters, Lopez is being hailed as a selfless hero, a guy who did the right thing, a guy who turned away upwards of $250,000, as many a sports memorabilia pundit has indicated the ball would have sold for on the open market. Why did he do it? Why did he give up an instant treasure with no expectation of getting anything in return? Lopez, a Verizon customer service rep, said in post-game press conference that “money’s cool and all, but I’m only 23 years old. I have a lot of time to make that. His accomplishment is a milestone.”

There is usually an adverse response when someone tries to do the right thing. The news report included “…many people — namely the money-hungry, the selfish…some even used a Yiddish profanity regarding Lopez. To simply “give” the ball to Jeter is the mark of an insane person. After all, it’s not Jeter’s ball. If anything, it’s major league baseball’s ball, and once it goes into the stands, it’s been demonstrated over the years the ball then belongs to whoever ends up with it.” Lopez had seen the moment as special for Jeter and he was deserving of that ball and what it represented. Aside from the money-hungry, selfish and greedy – Lopez had the right to do whatever he wished with the ball and he chose to do the right thing by giving it to Jeter. There is something striking about the young man’s name – “Christian” – meaning: “a follower of Jesus…someone who believes Jesus is the Christ or Messiah.” We don’t know anything about this young man’s religious preferences but he demonstrated by what he did that he lived up to his name - what he did was a selfless “Christian” act.

It reminds one of another moment when an unknown and unheralded young man did the right thing. John 6:1-15 describes the occasion of 5,000 plus people who had gathered to hear Jesus. At the end of the evening, the people remained and were hungry. In John 6:5-6, “Jesus said to Philip, where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat? He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do…” meanwhile, in john 6:8-9, Andrew had gone through the crowd and reports to Jesus: "there is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" the young man had surrendered what he had so that Jesus could do whatever he wanted to do with them – and Jesus did - all the multitude were fed from just five barley loaves and two fish. The young boy did the right thing for the right reason and Jesus Christ used it to demonstrate that “little is much when god is in it.” The boy could’ve been selfish and held onto it for himself – but he gave what he had freely and willingly – and it was used to bless and feed the multitude. What would you have done? Would you give up what you have to benefit others? Consider these things with me!