“…if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink,

for by doing so you will heap burning coals on his head” (Romans 12:20, ESV).

     It was a scene that melts a parent’s heart. Isaiah Jarvis was hit in the head by a wild pitch during a Little League regional playoff final. Everyone in the stadium held their collective breath as the batter fell to the ground while clutching his head in pain. Though he was shaken up, Isaiah managed to climb to his feet after a few scary moments and walk to first base.

     Meanwhile, Kaiden Shelton, the pitcher responsible for the errant throw used his glove to shield the tears flowing from his eyes. Kaiden was visibly remorseful over his erratic throw. To everyone’s astonishment, however, Isaiah moved to the pitching mound and consoled his opponent with a hug. Following the game’s conclusion, Kaiden told a news reporter:

                                      We felt bad for each other. I felt bad for hurting him and he felt bad                                   for when I was crying and he came and hugged me and made me feel better.

     The hug drew a standing ovation from the Waco, Texas crowd. The sportsmanship and compassion demonstrated by these two young men led their coaches and fans to choke up.

     Isaiah Jarvis’ actions mirror the meaning of the ancient Hebrew proverb quoted above by Paul in his letter to the Romans. To heap burning coals on someone’s head refers to a time when keeping one’s hearth fire alive was a life-saving necessity. If an individual could not keep his fire going, he would walk around town asking for hot coals to rekindle his fire while carrying a container atop his head. Putting coals into the container would help this person by fulfilling his needs.

     By embracing one another in an act of forgiveness and understanding, Isaiah and Kaiden together fulfilled their mutual need for reconciliation, as well as the spirit of Paul’s words. These two ballplayers demonstrated that the arena of competition need not be devoid of compassion and consideration. Getting beat on the scoreboard by your rivals should never lead to a beat down.

     My prayer is that the rest of us will take notice of these two boys. May their acts of grace and mercy prompt each of us to raise our own games and match their quality of their character. Together Kaiden and Isaiah have left the world an example that makes God proud.

     Well done, young men, and keep playing ball!