I’m writing this on March 26 and in about three hours, I was supposed to be sitting in the nose-bleed seats with my brother watching the White Sox and Royals play on Opening Day. It’s one of the many minor disappointments so many of us have been experiencing since the outbreak of COVID-19. Since there won’t be baseball for a while, and in honor of my brother (that’s us up above at a Reds game in the early 1980s), I broke out a set of DVDs that he gave as a gift a few years ago. It was the 1975 World Series between the Cincinnati Reds (my favorite team) and the Boston Red Sox. It’s considered one of the best World Series ever and, because the Reds won, I was looking forward to watching it. The first batter for the Reds? My childhood hero, Pete Rose.
I cringe a bit now as Rose’s various criminal behaviors have come to light, but, as a boy, Pete was my guy. I wanted to go all out like he did. I always tried to wear #14, Pete’s number. I think many of us probably have someone we looked up to and wanted to emulate as we were growing up and figuring out our own identity and how we might make our mark on the world.
During one of my devotional times last week, I was reading Philippians 3:12-21. In verse 14, the author (Paul) writes, “The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.” And then in verse 17, he encourages the members of this church in Philippi to “become imitators of me and watch those who live this way—you can use us as models.” As I read these two verses, what struck me was not whether I was becoming an imitator of Paul but whether I was becoming an imitator of Jesus. Was I using Jesus as my model? Was I serious in actually wanting to form my life after his?
It can be so easy–especially for people who have been Christians for a while–to allow Jesus to become a mere figure in a painting or a nice representation in stained glass. We read the familiar stories about him and knowingly nod, but we don’t take the time to let these stories move us, inspire us, change us.
I realize we’re living in a time that makes it hard to literally go out into the world and live like Jesus. But neither should we simply think that our commitment to a life of following Jesus is on hiatus. How can you model your life after his? Even from your home? I urge you to be creative in continuing to live a Christ-like life. And we don’t have to worry about his disappointing us.