42

It’s playing right now in theatres everywhere. It tells the inspiring true story of number 42, baseball Hall Of Fame legend, and civil rights icon, Jackie Robinson. I haven’t seen it and I probably won’t. I would if I thought they would tell the true story; the real story.

True, the movie may well portray a good sense of the incredible injustice and abuse suffered and the triumph of the man who would become the first black man to play major league ball effectively breaking what was called the baseball ‘color line’. In 1947 Jackie Roosevelt Robinson did just that playing first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers. But the problem with the movie is not what it tells but what it leaves out. How did he do it? Where did he find the strength to endure? And why? They left out the most important part. And why would they do that you may be wondering? Well, in case you didn’t know, Jackie Robinson’s strength of character came from his personal faith in God.   

Not only that, but Dodgers’ General Manager Branch Rickey who, at the time, chose Jackie Robinson to be the man to ‘break the color barrier’, did so based, not only on Jackie’s Christian faith and character, but also because of his own personal faith in Christ and his desire to seek social justice for black Americans because of it.

Knowing that the first black man who would break into the racist world of big league ball in twentieth century America would have to endure horrendous abuse, Rickey not only sought out a man he believed had the kind of faith convictions to persevere under such attacks, but used his initial meeting with Jackie to read from Jesus’ teachings in the sermon on the mount to confirm the need for a man who would have the God given ability to ‘resist the temptation to retaliate’ having ‘guts enough not to fight back’. Robinson agreed committing himself to be that man. These men weren’t just playing baseball! These men were setting out to conquer social injustice for the cause of Christ!!! (Apparently, the film does give a nod to Rickey’s faith, like throwing a scrap to a dog.)

Why would the producers leave Robinson’s faith out of this movie? It wasn’t because Robinson was quiet about his faith. He talked openly about it. In a 1950 newspaper interview he explained how he got down on his knees beside his bed to pray before going to sleep. The fact is that personal faith in God played a CENTRAL role in Jackie Robinson’s life and they left it out of a movie that is supposed to tell his story?! How negligent (is deceitful too strong a word?) is that? You decide.

But, it’s not just this movie. Go to Wikipedia and there is a lengthy article on Robinson and all of his accomplishments, which are many and great, along with a section on his personal life. Do a search for the words ‘faith’ or ‘God’ or anything related to his beliefs and you won’t find anything.

So, where is the integrity in that? The secular world constantly dismisses believers as hypocrites, and yet they have no hesitation to rewrite history to support their own views.

So, if you do decide to go see this movie, at least watch it with the understanding (something those sitting around you won’t have) of the back story, which is the real story; the true story of Jackie Robinson.