My kids watch the movie The Sandlot every chance they get.
Have you ever seen that movie? It’s about a group of boys in the 1960s who get together each day in the summer to play sandlot baseball. Nothing organized. Just a group of boys playing ball. They have fun just hanging out and playing.
For 20 years, I’ve listened to my dad and my grandpa lament the loss of sandlot baseball in modern society.
Sandlot baseball reflects a simpler time, a time of innocence, community, teamwork and kids just enjoying themselves — without the cost of Little League fees, the pressure of making the “select team,” and without the hassle of screaming parents on the sidelines.
Let me ask you this: Why did sandlot baseball disappear?
There is no written rule anywhere that says we can no longer play sandlot baseball.
There is no written rule anywhere that says we can’t sit with our neighbors on the front porch and share a cup of coffee while the kids play.
There is no written rule anywhere that says, as a church, we can’t go visit those who visited us this past Sunday, introduce ourselves and let them ask questions.
There is no written rule that says church marketing requires a Facebook page and a Twitter account.
There is no written rule that says everything has to be done by email or text — that we can’t reconnect with the face-to-face and neighborly approach to community and friendship that we long for. Just because it’s easier doesn’t mean it’s as fruitful.
Things like sandlot baseball went away because we let them go away.
So here’s a suggestion:
If you want to play sandlot baseball , gather your friends, grab your bat and glove and go play!
You might just start something great.