Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday August 13, 2007

I was moved at the congratulatory message Hank Aaron gave to Barry Bonds when he broke Hank's long standing career home run record. I know, I know the "juiced" up Bonds isn’t as good as Hank, yet many of his home runs were hit off of pitchers every bit as "juiced" as Barry. I wish all role models were as clean as my favorite, Cal Ripkin, but we have to factor in that guys like Ripkin are one in ten or twenty thousand, maybe even a million.

I remember when Hank Aaron first hit more career home runs than Babe Ruth and the baseball world found solace in the hope that no one would ever break the Babe's season record, though in fact someone had, but the asterisk assured all who cared that Roger Maris, would never get the fame he so rightly deserved. Mr. Aaron showed none of the pettiness that could have been voiced. He has always conducted himself as the gentleman.

His statement to the public via the screens at AT&T Park were noble and kind words:

"It is a great accomplishment which requires skill, longevity and determination, throughout the past century, the home run has held a special place in baseball, and I have been privileged to hold this record for 33 of those years. I'll move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family."

I was touched by the entire statement but especially the last phrase, "I'll move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family."

Back when Hank broke the record some very bitter things were said about him, but with the aplomb of the gentleman, he brushed them off and quietly endured the negative while enjoying the positive of being the greatest of his time for 33 years.

An article in Readers Digest told of Aaron's winning the batting title one year and Hank's remark:

"I led the league that year in everything but hotel accommodations!"

Henry Aaron is a powerful example of how to handle the many slights and outright insults he endured along the path to demonstrate his greatness as a ballplayer and a man. Countless men and women languish in the backwaters of life, depressed, discouraged and defeated because someone said something false or even true in the negative case, and they have focused on this, festering, seething and letting silly people making snide remarks rob them of the joy of achievement.

Christians can and should learn a lot from Aaron. Jesus addressed this principle in Matthew 5:11, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."

Do not permit evil speech to get you down. Keep on swinging.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit

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