In the 1989 film "Field of Dreams", Burt Lancaster and Frank Whaley provide the fictional portrayal of the real-life doctor, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham. Moonlight toiled for several years in the early 1900's in baseball's minor leagues, but it was in July of 1905 that he got his shot in the Major Leagues. Playing for the New York Giants, in the top of the eighth inning of a game against Brooklyn, Graham was sent to right field as a defensive substitution. In the bottom of that inning, Graham waited on deck and watched as a teammate flied out for the final out. The Giants held on to their lead and Graham was shipped back to the minors soon after, having never gotten an at-bat in the big leagues.
In the movie, however, a boyish-looking Moonlight gets his chance, stepping onto Costner's "Field of Dreams" in a converted Iowa cornfield. Settling into the box, he winks at the Chisox' pitcher, Eddie Cicotte. Cicotte promptly puts Graham on his seat with two straight high hard ones at his head. Graham retreats to the screen to get a little advice from Shoeless Joe Jackson, who asks Archie what he thinks Cicotte will do since the last two pitches were high & tight. "Either low & away or in my ear," Archie replies. Jackson advises Graham that he ought to be looking low & away, but to watch out for "in your ear". Cicotte goes low & away and Moonlight connects with a solid fly to center field. The runner on third tags up and slides safely across the plate as the catcher sweeps for the tag. A perfect sacrifice fly.
But that's merely of harbinger of what happens next (watch video):
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Archibald Graham gives us a striking picture of Courage & Sacrifice - - a picture of what Jesus did when he willingly stepped off the field of heaven and into our world. Paul puts it this way when he writes to the believers in Philippi:
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:5-8)
There's the Challenge! Do you, do I, have the courage to be that man?
This is Challenge Pointe.
Semper Fi.
Doug
