Disappointment

by Rev Geoff Usher

A troubled man paid a v i s i t to his rabbi: a wise and good rabbi, as a l l rabbis try to be.

 “Rabbi,” said he, wringing his hands, ” I am a failure. More than half the time I do not succeed in doing what I must do.”

 “Oh?” said the rabbi.

 “Please say something wise, Rabbi,” said the man.

 After much pondering, the rabbi spoke as follows: ” Ah, my son, I give you this wisdom: Go and look on page 930 of The New York Times Almanac for the year 1970, and you will find peace of mind maybe.” “Ah,” said the man, and he went away and did that thing.

 Now this is what he found: The listing of the life-time batting averages of all the greatest baseball players. Ty Cobb, the greatest slugger of them all, had a lifetime average of only .367. Even Babe Ruth didn’t do so good.

 So the man went back to the rabbi and said in a questioning tone: “Ty Cobb – .367 – that’s it?” “Right, ” said the rabbi. “Ty Cobb – .367. He got a hit once out of every three times at bat. He didn’t even bat 500 – so what can you expect already?”

 “Ah,” said the man, who had thought he was a wretched failure because only half the time he did not succeed at what he must do. Theology is amazing, and holy books abound.  That story comes from Robert Fulghum’s book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.   

This sermon is continued here.