Matt took his son to the library. They went for the express purpose of looking for baseball books to read.
I’m certain that this trip to the library was like so many previous trips to the library. Picking books up, thumbing through them, waiting for something to spark a synapse or engage an imagination.
Libraries are one of the most amazing places on the planet. At a library, you can hold conversations with authors across time, find an interest in something you never knew interested you, and make serendipitous connections that change the course of your life.
On this particular trip to the library, Matt picked up a copy of A Year of Playing Catch. He almost put it back, but then decided to check it out.
I am a big fan of libraries that carry that book and the people who check it out from the library.
That night, when Matt started reading the book, a newspaper clipping fell out. Tucked away in this particular copy of A Year of Playing Catch was a newspaper article written by Spencer Durham.
Spencer is a friend of mine. He’s originally from Ohio where he and his dad built a baseball field – 42 Field – in their backyard. It’s a great field to visit for a game of catch, or take swings in a home run derby, or play in a double-header. One of my top three days playing baseball took place at 42 Field. I still remember the catch I made in left field as I sprinted toward the cornstalks and birdhouse-topped foul pole.
Spencer participated in the 30 Days of Catch challenge I hosted back in March.
For several weeks, I had a “gut feeling” to host a 30 Days of Catch challenge. My thinking behind the challenge was simple: I just wanted to get more people playing catch. And people did. People from Georgia and Massachusetts and New York and Missouri and Ohio and Indiana and North and South Carolina and New Jersey all participated. It was a great way to spend a rainy and cold March, cheering on new friends as they played catch and made new friends.
Spencer is also a journalist. He decided to write about his experience with the 30 Days of Catch.
Matt read the book, and then contacted me.
Ethan,
I greatly appreciated your book, A Year of Playing Catch. I found a newspaper clipping tucked into the book that I borrowed from my local library. It had an op-ed piece sharing about the author’s desire to take the 30 Days of Catch challenge. I started thinking that maybe I could do that and, perhaps, I could use it to gain donations for our local food distributor Gleaners that provides food for local food pantries including our summer pantry we’re hosting this summer.
What are your suggestions?
Thank you.
Matt
Matt is the pastor of Castleton United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He sees those who struggle with food insecurity on a daily basis. His church has partnered with the North Shadeland Alliance and Gleaners Food Bank to bring the mobile food pantry to his part of the city to distribute food to those in need.
It comes at a steep price. The cost for one day of food distribution is $7,710.
On their food distribution days, Matt’s church and other local volunteers serve over 400 families.
So, this pastor who, inexplicably, loves both Chicago baseball teams, read the book, read Spencer’s article, and connected those to a deep need in his community.
I read Matt’s note and was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Frederick Buechner, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
For the month of August, Matt will be playing catch to raise money $15,420 for Gleaners – enough to cover the costs for two days of food distributions. Before he’s even thrown a ball, he’s already raised $10,000.
That is truly incredible.
This weekend, I’ll head to Matt’s church to tell stories about playing catch and making new friends. I’ll take my Portland Pickles jersey and my glove and look forward to cheering him on throughout the challenge.
I do, however, have one question.
Who placed Spencer’s article in the book?
My bet is a librarian did it.
That person is a hero.
If, by some chance, the person who placed the article into the book reads this story and finds me this weekend, I’ll have a copy of A Year of Playing Catch ready to give them as a personal thank you.
Matt went to the library, picked up a book, and his community is better because of it.
