Pastor’s Perspective – October 2025
A Phillies Fanatic Shows Us Grace
Social media exploded in September after an unhinged woman chased down a fellow Philadelphia Phillie fan who beat her to a Harrison Bader home run at a Marlins baseball game in Miami, Florida. Drew Feltwell grabbed the ball and gave it to his son Lincoln, who was there to celebrate his tenth birthday.
Video that has circulated on social media that shows the women, who is now known derisively as the “Phillies Karen” demanding the ball, which she claimed was owed to her.
Mr. Feltwell had a split-second decision to make, does he fight this furious woman over a baseball or does he provide a loving example of grace to his son. He made the right call. He took the ball out of his child’s glove and handed it to the irate fan.
Social media focused on the offensive woman, but the Marlins and the Phillies paid attention to the father and his son. Before they left the park both teams sought to right the wrong that had been done to the child and responded by rewarding him with memorabilia, and a personal visit with Harrison Bader himself, who gifted the ten-year-old with an autographed baseball bat.
The generous and kind father taught his son that sometimes giving what is by all rights yours is the righteous thing to do. He stepped down from his rights and gave away what at the time seemed to be the ultimate prize. The proverbial cherry on the birthday sundae.
In doing so he showed his son, and all of us, a living example of the love that Jesus is calling His church to model for the world. The scriptures tell us that how we live is how we will be judged, and those who live by grace and mercy will be judged with grace and mercy, and those who demand righteousness in their time and in their mind will sadly receive exactly that. You have to ask yourself a simple question, do you want to receive what’s coming to you? Or do you want to receive grace and mercy? Remember what Jesus told us, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first in the kingdom of God.
The “Phillies Karen” demanded to be first, and she became last, becoming a national pariah in her own time. She got her precious baseball, and that was her only reward. She won what is sometimes called a Pyrrhic victory, a meaningless win that ended up costing her far more than it was worth. Social media is storming the gates trying to find ways to punish her and Mr. Feltwell is asking people to be kind and loving to her.
It is a life lesson for the Church and our society. And while every act of kindness is not done to be rewarded, know that if the Phillies organization is loving enough to reward a young fan, how much more might our Father in Heaven reward you for turning the other cheek and in living in love and grace.
The next time you’re faced with a screaming, crazy person in your face who wants what is yours, don’t be afraid to give it to them. Don’t be afraid, because as Jesus said, our God in heaven will return that which you’ve given. And sadly, those who desperately need to be first may receive what they desire, but that is where their blessings will end.
“For what does it profit a person to gain the world and lose your soul.”
Pastor Dan
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