Home Field Advantage

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power (I Cor. 4:20).

 

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.  You have come to thousands upons thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.  You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:22-24).

 

Every sports fan knows about "the home field advantage."  We are not talking here about some kind of fantasy, but about the reality -- the energy -- that sustains a team playing at home.  In the case of LSU and the New Orleans Saints, team frenzy can be felt for miles outside of Baton Rouge and New Orleans itself.  In fact, one of my neighbors on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi is a rabid fan of both teams.  Not only is everything in his house emblematic of his teams, but his kitchen is painted gold, and his stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher are all a deep purple (for LSU).

 

At the height of the Saints' winning season a few years ago, I warned one of my colleagues to be careful -- his car was sporting a Green Bay Packers flag the day the Saints were playing that team at the Superdome.  He risked being an outcast (at best) in a city whose energy for the Saints was palpable that day.

 

This Thursday, Nov. 1, is the Feast of All Saints in the Catholic Church.  What we are really celebrating that day is the union of those who are disciples of Jesus.  Each one of us is distinctly individual in our gifts and personalities -- just like the team members of the New Orleans Saints -- but we are all on the same team, with one goal in mind: to express the Spirit of God that is in Jesus Christ and in His Body, His members in heaven and on earth.

 

Those who have gone before us surround us, who are still "playing on the field," and they are cheering us on, wearing our colors ("They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands"--Rev. 7:9).  We are not alone; we are surrounded by an invisible cheering crowd, whose energy supports us in all we do. 

 

I think most people fail to realize that "the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power," as Paul tells us.  We think it is our own energy and goodness that "gets us through," that we "reach the goal" on our own power and steam.  But the truth is that we have a home-field advantage in our struggle; we have all the saints in heaven and earth urging us forward and cheering our victories in this life. 

 

My mother, though a convert to Catholicism after being raised as a Baptist, came to know the saints in heaven as friends and cohorts.  We prayed to St. Anthony for lost shoes and keys, and we expected his help, because we knew he was a friend who cared whether we got to school on time or not.  My mother loved St. Francis of Assisi and Padre Pio; she prayed regularly to St. Benedict for all of her children -- these were those who had the power to assist her on her journey through life. 

 

A few years ago, I had the rare privilege of traveling to Rome.  During that trip, our friend and guide decided for some reason to take us to Assisi, a place I had always wanted to see.  As we stepped out of the car after a long journey, a light snow began to fall, and there was something magical in the air during our visit to the place where Francis received the stigmata and spent so many hours in prayer.  On another day, we traveled on business to Montecino, the monastery outside of Rome founded by St. Benedict, and where he spent the last years of his life.  Finally, as we were given a private tour of the Vatican, the cardinal who was leading us showed us the staff of Padre Pio, which I was allowed to take hold of.  At that moment, I felt not only the spirit of Padre Pio, but the spirit of my mother who was then in heaven with her friends.  What were the odds that I would be taken to the earthly sites of all three of her best friends in heaven?

 

There is a power on earth that we can all take hold of -- the power and energy of those who have gone before us, and who are now committed to cheering us on, to supplying what we need for our journey on earth, and who will receive us with open arms when our journey is finished.  Three cheers for "home - field advantage!"