As the boys of summer prepare to take to the diamonds soon, this explanation of baseball might be helpful to anyone new to the game. The original writer is anonymous. After you read his description, you may understand why.
Baseball is a game played by two teams, one out the other in. The one that's in, sends players out one at a time, to see if they can get in before they get out. If they get out before they get in, they come in, but it doesn't count. If they get in before they get out it does count.
When the ones out get three outs from the ones in before they get in without being out, the team that's out comes in and the team in goes out to get those going in out before they get in without being out.
When both teams have been in and out nine times the game is over. The team with the most in without being out before coming in wins unless the ones in are equal. In which case, the last ones in go out to get the ones in out before they get in without being out.
The game will end when each team has the same number of ins out but one team has more in without being out before coming in.
Got it?
So maybe that doesn’t clear things up much. Sometimes it may seem that religion is that complicated, but it was not meant to be. We shouldn’t need a Ph.D. in theology to understand what our Creator expects of us. And, long ago, the prophet Micah simplified it for us:
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
(Micah 6:7-8)
Act justly.
Love mercy.
Walk humbly.
We can understand what the Lord requires if we’ll just focus on his simple directions.