During a high-school baseball game between a public school and my son’s Christian school, a parent of a player from the public school became convinced that the umpires were helping my son’s team win. She finally came out with the opinion that this was a really fine thing: a Christian school cheating to win.

With her voice she was saying she and her school were better than Christians. In her heart, though, I believe there was something else going on: a conviction that found expression in antagonism. In other words, if I can’t or won’t be one of you, then I’ll bring you down or attack you. We often hear the instruction, “know who you are in Christ.” In that moment, it was sad to hear someone not in Christ at all. Maybe more unfortunate, the woman’s umpire- and Christian baiting drew an attempt at dialogue from the father of one of my son’s teammates. It was to no avail, as you might expect.

The Word says, “the prayers of a righteous man avail much” (James 5:16). I would pray that I and others in similar situations would respond with grace rather than a harmful reaction and, more important, with intercession for those like this lady.

By Ken Snyder

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