Bread From Heaven

Yogi Berra is one of the most famous and successful baseball players of our time.

He played nearly 2200 games in the major leagues. – mostly for the New York Yankees

75 of those games were world series games.

His success is marked with statistics, but his fame outside of baseball grew because of what he said and how he said it.

His colourful, pithy and sometimes absurd sayings made him one of the most quoted sports celebrities ever.

Whenever Berra would spill a crazy line, reporters would jump on it and it would be in the newspaper the next day guaranteed.

Here is a small sample of what have become “Yogiisms”

“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”

I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early.”

“Baseball is 90% mental – the other half is physical.”

He said of a certain restaurant in New York – “ Nobody goes there anymore; its too crowded.”

“You should always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise, they won’t come to yours.”

“You can observe a lot… just by watching.”

When ever famous people or politicians say something unexpected or absurd - or misspeak, you can be sure it will be recorded and repeated with much delight. … probably in the news.

For instance former Vice-President Dan Quayle made the following statements:

“A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.”

“It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.”

“I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and democracy - but that could change.”

The Mayor of Washington DC claims “Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.”

Councilman John Bowman disagrees, I think, because he says, “if crime went down 100% it would still be fifty times higher than it should be.”

Regardless of who is right, I think we can all agree with former president Gerald Ford when he says “things are more like they are now than they have ever been.”

But that is Washington eh? In Philadelphia Frank Rizzo, the mayor, declares “the streets are safe in Philadelphia – its only the people who make then unsafe.”

We like to poke fun at famous people. Perhaps its because we think they have a lot of money.

Pete Incavigila, who plays ball for the Texas Rangers, resents that attitude. “People think we make 3 million and 4 million a year.” He says, “they don’t realize that most of us only make $500 000.”

But being rich and famous does have its privileges.

Britney Spears, a popular singer boasts, “I get to go to lots of overseas places, like Canada.”

You can just see the buzz of the reporters when someone of great stature makes a wild claim or misspeaks or produces an absurd comment.

I can imagine the excitement the day Al Gore proclaimed to the world that he invented the Internet.

Imagine the stir when Jesus announced to the crowd. “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you will not possess eternal life”

Now, the day before, on the other side of the lake Jesus had taken a boy’s lunch and fed 5000 men.

The disciples had picked up twelve baskets full of leftovers.

The crowd was impressed. In fact they intended to make Him King by force.

But Jesus slipped away.

The disciples that evening got a boat and began to make their way to Capernaum, on the other side of the lake.

That night Jesus met his disciples in the middle of the lake and immediately they arrived at their destination.

When the crowds found Jesus they wanted to know how he got there. They had deduced that it was physically impossible.

Jesus cuts through their small talk and immediately begins to criticize their narrow outlook on life.

I can easily visualize the exchange.

You are looking for me cause you get free meals and entertainment. Life is bigger than that. Why don’t you spend your energy on things that matter for eternity.

Sure, they say. Whatever , just tell us what to do.

Believe in Me.

OK, but just to be sure give us a miracle so we know that your really the right guy.. Moses gave the people manna in the desert… can you do something like that?

You guys are always thinking of food. I’ll tell you something about food. It only satisfies temporarily. God has sent a loaf of bread from heaven that when you eat it once it lasts forever.

OK forget the miracle. Give us this special bread instead.

Its me. I’m the bread that’s eternal. I came down from heaven to accomplish the mission given to me by my father.