Have you ever been to a child’s sports game? What was it like? You probably recall kids with varying attention spans running around, or gazing up at the sky. You might have a memory of coaches yelling. You may remember some kids doing their absolute best, while others were just there for the after-game snacks.
But do you remember the referees? I imagine the answer is either “not really,” or a resounding “yes.”
My older son told me once that he was thinking about trying his hand at umpiring Little League baseball games. I told him that he should only do it if he really loved it, for the best game officials are the ones that no one remembers. If you have been to a lot of kids games you have surely heard the chatter between angry parents and referees. I have been to my fair share of these, and it can get ugly. I read a story once about a 16-year old umpire that correctly called a kid out in a baseball game for not touching home plate. The parents cursed at him and some even threw things. Even after a parent showed everyone there a recording of the play (turns out the umpire was right in the call he made) there was still one angry parent who wanted to fight in the parking lot and had to be taken away by his wife. The Little League umpire salary (around 15 dollars an hour) does not compensate people enough for this.
We learned the value of good referees during the 2012 NFL referee lockout. The officials had gone on strike at the beginning of the season and were replaced by others who were nowhere near as good. One particular game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks hinged on a call that wrongly awarded a touchdown for Seattle. This created so much consternation among fans, and even then-President Obama sent a tweet about the call. The lockout was ended shortly after this game, and the striking referees returned to the games with a standing ovation.
We all have “behind-the-scenes” people that turn out to be immensely valuable. Sports is just one example. What if the accounting department was the part everyone remembered about a church? What if the janitorial staff was what you remembered most about the movie theatre trip? These are essential services, and they work best when they are invisible.
The Gospels give a nod to this “behind-the-scenes” faith.
Matthew 6:1-8
6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Are there present-day examples of people doing good things invisibly? You bet. Beyonce’ gave 7 million dollars to fund a housing complex for the homeless in Houston. Her pastor is the one that told the news. Keanu Reeves has a charitable foundation (but no one knows which one) that has been helping people for 20 years. And Meryl Streep has a foundation (Silver Mountain Foundation for the Arts) that has discreetly raised millions of dollars for many different groups that fight hunger and homelessness. This only came to light when Forbes reviewed the foundation’s tax filings.
The musician “Prince” was a shining example of philanthropy. He helped to create green jobs in low-income places. He donated to families of shooting victims, and he gave 1 million dollars to the Harlem Children’s Zone. This is just a small list of almost silent accomplishments for the artist.
The referee style of faith may not be glamorous, but that isn’t really the point is it? Take away recognition as a motiving factor of your generosity, and watch what happens to your faith.
God Bless