From his shortstop position, Robinson called for time and walked over to where Robinson stood. He placed his arm around Robinson’s shoulders in an unspoken gesture of support until the booing subsided and stopped. It was something Reese probably would never have dreamed of doing before that season. God had changed him simply by allowing him to experience day-to-day interaction with a man of another color.
Discipleship is not just about me and my relationship to God. Discipleship is also about me and my relationship to my fellow man. As the Bible states, the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves.
In Luke 4, Jesus teaches in the synagogues of Galilee. He returns home to Nazareth where he reads from Isaiah the prophet 2 and defines his ministry as “preaching good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and release for the oppressed.” In other words, his ministry includes working for justice, ministering to the sick, and working for the oppressed. There are times when we seek to interpret discipleship in terms of me but we also need to define it in terms of service in the Kingdom, working for justice, racial equality, standing up for those unable to stand up for themselves. In other words, we need to see discipleship in terms of we as much as we define it in terms of me.
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There’s an old poem entitled “I am one.”
I am only one.
But I am one.I cannot do everything,But I can do something.What I ought to do, I can do.And by the grace of God, I will do.
That’s a great attitude for disciples. None of us can solve all the world’s problems but we can each do something. Disciples are those who recognize God’s call whenever and wherever they see injustice in the world around them.
Years before there was a Jackie Robinson playing for the Dodgers, the University of Michigan baseball team traveled to South Bend, Indiana, to play Notre Dame a series of games. They were checking into the hotel in the days before credit cards, computers, and faxes. The coach would introduce each player as he came to the desk and they would sign in. When his catcher approached and was introduced, the clerk drew back the book and said, “We don’t register Negroes in this hotel.”
The coach stood there stunned. He said, “Well now, this is the University of Michigan baseball team and we are here as guests of Notre Dame University.”