Umpires

Umpires

Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.

Colossians 3:15

If first words have anything to do with a child’s destiny, then my youngest daughter, Luci, is destined for a career in sports. Despite my eagerness to hear her baby lips finally form the word mama, what came out first was the word ball. To this day Luci is fascinated by balls. Footballs, basketballs, softballs, baseballs, volleyballs, soccer balls. If it bounces, she wants it.

Last year, Luci played on her middle-school basketball team for the first time. I loved watching the players improve as the season progressed. Though most of the games were marked by good sportsmanship, there was an occasional lapse. During one of the games, a player on the opposing team couldn’t keep her hands off her opponents. I watched in consternation as she pushed, shoved, and elbowed my daughter at every opportunity. Surprisingly, the referees never called it. After the game, Luci’s coach promised to file a complaint against the referees who had worked the game. Because of their inaction, a game that should have been safe and fun was anything but.

Though I am not a dyed-in-the-wool sports fan, I know enough to realize that a good referee or umpire can help make or break a game. With that in mind, let’s consider the umpire that Paul chose to speak of in Colossians 3:15. Reminding the early Christians of the importance of maintaining unity, he said, “Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.” The word rule in this verse comes from the Greek word brabeuo, which refers not to the rule of a king but to the work an umpire does at a game. With that in mind, you could paraphrase the verse like this: “Let the peace that comes from Christ act as an umpire in your hearts.” In other words, let it make the call so that whenever you have a difference with another believer, Christ’s peace will have the last, definitive word.

Lord, I want your peace to characterize all my relationships, especially with those who belong to you. When there are disagreements, help me find a way through them in a way that does not destroy the peace but preserves it.