Marching in Snow
On May 1, 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers played against the Chicago Cubs at home on Ebbets Field. The Dodgers scored three runs in the second inning … and the Cubs were never able to catch up.
It was early in the baseball season — a ground-breaking season — as Jackie Robinson was just two weeks in to his patient shattering of baseball’s color barrier. I understand from my Dad that talk of Robinson’s story is in the air back home because of a new biographical movie called “42.”
On this day in 1947, Jackie Robinson batted four times against the Cubs … got one hit … and brought one runner home. For the most part, it was a normal day in an abnormal year.
Sixty-six years later in China, today is a national holiday. It is a normal day … in, what is for us, an abnormal year.
We haven’t been bullied by racist taunts. We haven’t received death threats. And there likely won’t be a movie made about us. Still — in small ways like Jackie Robinson — we are navigating an unfamiliar road in a potentially hostile place, following the deep desires of our heart.
(Above, a photograph of what some friends call “China Snow.” It is an unexpected experience to walk through the dense bursts of snow-like fluff that come from springtime tree blooms.)
This country, too, draws its own parallels to Jackie Robinson’s story.
On China’s national May Day, consider these translated lyrics from its national anthem:
Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!
Let us amount our flesh and blood towards our new Great Wall!
The Chinese nation faces its greatest peril,
The thundering roar of our peoples will be heard!
Arise! Arise! Arise!
We are many, but our hearts beat as one!
Selflessly braving the enemy’s gunfire, march on!
Selflessly braving the enemy’s gunfire, march on!
March on! March on! on!
Happy May Day from Chestertown where the tradition is streaking at Washington College! Pretty tame compared to that anthem and we do have showers of blossoms too!