Heroic Restraint

Some Christians were heroic because they fought back against evil. Jackie Robinson was heroic because he had the courage not to fight back.

In August 1945, Robinson was called into the office of Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, who informed Robinson that if he did well with the Dodgers minor league affiliate (Montreal), he would make Robinson the first black player in Major League Baseball. Rickey knew Robinson’s challenge would be to control his temper when subjected to the vicious bigotry that was sure to come. During their initial conversation, Rickey used racial epithets and acted like the racist hotel managers, restaurant waiters, and ballplayers Robinson would encounter. He challenged Robinson to see how he would respond. 

Knowing Robinson shared his Christian faith, Rickey pulled out a copy of Giovanni Papini’s book, Life of Christ, and flipped to a passage on the Sermon on the Mount. Rickey referred to Jesus’ call to “turn the other cheek” as “the most stupefying of [Jesus’] revolutionary teachings.” Robinson would have to learn how to follow that call.

After a year in the minors, Robinson got his chance to play with the Dodgers and became the team’s starting first baseman on opening day in 1947. That season, Robinson’s terrific performance on the field—including a .297 batting average and a league-leading twenty-nine stolen bases—earned him the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award. 

Just as Rickey had predicted, Robinson endured horrible bigotry almost every day. Every night, Robinson asked God for the strength he needed to endure the hatred without fighting back. God, of course, came through, and Robinson acted heroically with both love and restraint.[1]

God gifted Jackie Robinson with talent and armed him with strength on and off the field.

Questions for Reflection and Application

• Branch Rickey was a mentor to Jackie Robinson. What men have mentored you? What did these men teach you? Whom have you mentored?
• When someone verbally attacks you or belittles you—including on social media—how do you typically respond? Do you fight back or turn the other cheek? How does it feel to remain silent in response to an unfair attack?
• How can you ensure you rely on God for the strength you need to respond in a Christ-like fashion the next time someone provokes you?

[1]  Eric Metaxas, “The Secret of Jackie Robinson’s Greatness: Turning the Other Cheek,” CNS-News (April 15, 2016)