The Comeback

I’m not from Chicago. I’ve never even been to Wrigley Field. But this last Wednesday, I was as die-hard a Chicago Cubs fan as they come. Yes, I stayed up until nearly 1 am listening  to World Series Game 7 (baseball is, I think, the best sport to be broadcast over the air waves), hoping against hope that the Cubbies could pull out one more victory against the Cleveland Indians. And they did, in one of the most dramatic World Series games baseball aficionados could have imagined.

So, why, if I’m not a true Cubs fan, did I sacrifice sleep (and stable nerves) to wish them onto victory? Because I love comebacks, especially those made by underdogs. With 108 years since their last championship title, the Cubs were due for winning the Big One. Down in the series 3-1, they fought their way through three more games, two in enemy territory, to make baseball history. The Cubs’ comeback appeals to me, and I think to most people, because it gives us hope that things can be different, that the odds can be beat, and the tables can be turned. That sort of sentiment extends beyond the baseball diamond.

On the eve of Election Day, we Americans feel a lot like the Cubs. Donald Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again” has resonated with a lot of voters for good reason. The average American, no matter what his political affiliation, would like things to be different. We’re hoping that somehow the next four years might bring, among other things,  economic growth, racial reconciliation, the defeat of ISIS, and restored international prominence for our country. In other words, we’d like an American comeback.

As a Christian, it’s especially difficult for me not to be discouraged at the state of my country. America’s condition is beyond a simple presidential prescription. The very soul of our nation is sick; it needs spiritual renewal as only God Himself can bring. But it’s not just the body politic that needs the boost. The American Church, faced with the consequences of decades of losing its savor and hiding its light, is facing hostility and apostasy simultaneously. We’re down 3-1 in the series, and it looks like we’re going to be playing the next couple games at Progressive Field, not at Wrigley. We need a spiritual comeback—a revival.

But as much as I hope and pray for these political and spiritual comebacks, it’s me that’s most often in need of a second wind.  I assess my life, with all its facets, and find slumps where I want to see progress.  I consider what needs to change about my game and find the necessary work daunting.  I want to be a World Series champ, but the stats say it’s been awhile since I’ve been a serious contender.

Thankfully, God has good news for me, as He does for America, and for the Church. “Have you not known?” asks the prophet Isaiah. “Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31)

Comebacks are possible when we rely on God’s inexhaustible strength and trust in His never-failing care. Without that reliance and trust in Him, a true comeback won't ever happen. Some of the Cubs, I think, would suggest Isaiah’s playbook as the best comeback strategy. And as the 2016 World Series Champions, I think I’ll take their advice.