Have you ever gone back and watched a movie and been amazed by how much you missed? Some movies are specifically made to be watched more than once; movies like Memento, Sixth Sense, and Fight Club. We watch these movies and are shocked by the plot twist at the end, but when we go back and re-watch them, we realize there were instances throughout the movie that hinted to the twist. However, I was surprised by a movie that you probably wouldn’t expect to watch it again and discover anything new in the narrative. The movie was Angels in the Outfield: A “B movie” with an “A list cast,” which tells the story of a professional baseball team with a sub-par roster and an abysmal record making a miraculous comeback with some divine help.
I’m not sure how many of you have seen this movie made in 1994 by Disney, but when I say A list cast I’m not kidding: Danny Glover, Christopher Lloyd, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tony Danza, Matthew McConaughey, Adrien Brody and the lesser known Neal McDonough. Granted, many of them were in this movie long before they were known in Hollywood, but that is still an impressive listing. I was watching it again this past weekend with my kids and actually impressed not by the movie or the goofy acting that permeates most live-action movies for kids, but by how much truth there actually was in the movie. I mean, I have watched this movie several times as a kid and probably a couple times as an adult as well, but I guess I had never really paid that close attention to the actual narrative of the story. The narrative actually has a lot that it can teach us and, let me tell you, I don’t think it is a narrative that Disney would ever make today. Perhaps I’m the only one that didn’t notice these things the first time they watched it, but I would like to take a moment to share with you the things we can learn from Angels in the Outfield.
- “Yeah, It Could Happen”
This one is pretty obvious and doesn’t really need much explanation. After the kid’s father sarcastically tells him he will have a family again when the Angels win the pennant. The kid, Roger Bomman, prays for God to help the Angels win the pennant, and God sends angels to help the team win.
- “It must have been those chili dogs”
After the Roger tells the team manager, George Knox, about the divine assistance, Knox doesn’t believe him and asks his players how they managed to achieve their miraculous feats. While both players admit to feeling as though somebody or something was with them when it happened the catcher, Triscuitt Messmer, claims, “it must have been those Chili Dogs I ate before the game; you know that 3rd one tasted kind of funny.”
Typically, if we pray for God to come through we will be the only one that actually recognizes the miracle for what it is. Others may attempt to rationalize it and find any explanation other than God.
- “You really do see something, don’t you?”
George Knox starts bringing the kid to the games despite his doubts. He thinks of him as a good luck charm, but as the kids starts informing him of the angels’ presence and which players should be played, Knox argues with him even after seeing the Roger’s suggestions proven right. However, after arguing with the Roger and always getting the response, “If the angels help, he’ll be awesome,” the George finally relents and responds, “You really do see something, don’t you?” After this, the Knox’s attitude changes towards the Roger and to the idea that angels are actually helping the team.
It is often our conviction and steadfast faith even while facing persecution that opens the eyes of non-believers around us. In order to truly believe that Jesus Christ has the power to change our lives they first need to see the change in yours.
- “I don’t believe in Angels anymore”
Later in the movie, we see Roger struggling with his faith, when his father, despite the Angels being only 1 game away from winning the pennant, gives up all parental rights to the state. The kid had specifically asked for the team to get help because he wanted a family again and now that seems like it will never happen. However, if we fast forward to the end of the movie we see that through this entire experience George Knox has come to care for and love Roger and his best friend, J.P. deciding to adopt them himself.
God answers our prayers, but he doesn’t always do it in the way we wanted. Maybe the answer is “yes,” maybe it is “no,” but He still answers. Even if the answer is a yes, it may not play out exactly the way we wanted it to, but we need to keep in mind that God always has our best interest in mind. Seeming how He is God, He actually has the foreknowledge to know what is really best for us in the long run.
- “Championship games have to be won on their own”
It is down to the final game, the Angels have to win this game to win the pennant, but the head angel, Al, shows up and tells the Roger Bonnam that they won’t be receiving any help tonight, because championships have to be won on their own.
I think of the championship game as our final step in faith, committing ourselves to Christ. If you think of the Roger as being a believer who is witnessing to George Knox and the team then the final step they have to make is actually having faith and accepting God, therefore, achieving victory in Jesus Christ.
- “All he has to do is believe”
In the final game, we actually see the previous point played out again in the final pinch. The pitcher, Mel Clark, is worn out after pitching the whole game and Knox is ready to take him out, but Roger wants him to have the chance to win the game himself despite it being a 1 run game with bases loaded a 2 outs and a full count. The George tells the Roger, Mel Clark doesn’t have anything left, but the Roger responds with “Yeah, he does, all he has to do is believe.” Knox goes to the mound and tells Clark, he has an angel with him and that he can win the game while the kid gives the signal for an angel’s presence.
Now granted, the George and Roger are telling a lie here, since there isn’t an angel helping out the team. However, I think what we should take from this is that sometimes we just need to be reminded that God is present in our lives, because He is always present in our lives even when it isn’t being demonstrated in mind-blowing miracles. Sometimes remembering that God is present will give us the peace of mind that we need to persevere during a struggle and use the talents and skills that God has provided us to overcome.
- “If I hear any more of this nonsense”
Once the story gets out about real angels helping the team on the field the media and the team owner turn against the manager. After a less than flattering article is written in the local paper, the owner tells, Knox he will be holding a press conference and that he is to denounce everything that has been said about the angels. The owner is afraid that the attitude of the media towards the story will in turn affect the attitude of the fans.
We see this all the time. The media is quick to tear down anybody that stands firm in their Christian beliefs, especially if those convictions put them at odds with the media’s agenda. They will attempt to insult the person and make a mockery of their beliefs.
- “I won’t play for anybody, but George Knox”
After seeing Roger walk in during a press conference, the Knox realizes he can’t do as the owner asked. He tells the press that something has happened that has changed the way the team plays and the way he coaches. He then tells the media, “you can call it angels, you can call it faith, you can call it whatever you want.” After his speech is over and the media starts bombarding him with questions attempting to make a mockery of him and what he said, the kids’ caregiver, Maggie Nelson, says she has something to say. She essentially asks the press why is God ok sometimes, but not all the time? Why can we talk about God but not Angels? The speech seems to quiet everyone down a little, but before the owner or the media can respond Mel Clark stands up saying he won’t play for anyone but George Knox and the rest of the team follows suit. The loyalty of the team forces the owner’s hand, and the owner tells the media they can print whatever they want, but Knox is still the manager. In the closing moments of the game. we see not only the kid but all the players, staff and fans giving the signal for the Angels presence. Granted this moment isn’t exactly a stadium kneeling in prayer and asking for God’s forgiveness, but this is a Disney movie and Hollywood is still Hollywood so we have to take what we can get, and I would argue that the point of having everyone giving the signal was to show that they all now had faith.
The change in every one’s mind started with the leadership standing up and standing firm, but the leadership was then supported by the faithful core, the Roger and the players that had been experiencing these miracles and changes on a daily basis. Once they all stood firm and refused to allow the dissension of the media or the masses to break them, they were able to create public change. Once we see the public change we see something that, frankly, this country is in desperate need of. We see a revival among the entire community. The coach, team, staff, owner and fans all united in their faith.
Why don’t we see this happening today? Why don’t we see the masses changing their minds and coming to Christ? Why is the media winning the battle and taking people farther and farther away from Christ? I can’t even remember the last time I heard the term revival used about something occurring in the present. Why? What is happening? It’s quite simple actually, the media is still doing the same things; although, I would agree they are more fervent in their endeavors nowadays, but that isn’t the problem, it’s a symptom. The problem is with the believers, both the leaders and the core. Many leaders are no longer willing to make that firm stand and the core most certainly aren’t willing to support them. Instead, we have a generation of churchgoers pandering to the world around them. Instead of changing the world, we are allowing the world to change us. The world gets offended by what is in scripture and we act like it is our fault and even worse we act like it is ours to change. Of course they get offended, we all get offended when we are told we are wrong, but we need that moment to realize that we need to change. Through our pandering, we are denying the world the moment of self-reflection they need to realize they need forgiveness. Our apathy towards sin and our increasing ambiguity in the message we speak has actually opened the doors that allowed the onslaught of attacks we are receiving today. Yes, I am aware the Bible says things will get worse in the end, but our unwillingness to cling to God and choose Him over this fallen world has created the dark times we live in.
I don’t know about you, but I would love to see a stadium full of fans knelt down in prayer proclaiming their faith in Jesus Christ. You know what forget that I don’t want just a stadium I want to see it in every stadium in every country across the world. I want to see another revival and I want it to be the biggest revival this world has ever seen. Do you want to see it? In order to get there we have to stop pandering to the world. We can’t be wishy-washy in our message and we certainly can’t be afraid of offending people. We have to speak the truth. We have to give people the message of the Bible. Not the message we want to give them or the message we think they want to hear but the message that God has given to us to share with the world. I can’t even begin to imagine what God would do if his followers would all do this again even if only for a day. Are you ready to see it? I am!
