But he said, “It is not the sound made by victors or the sound made by losers; it is the sound of singing that I hear.” Exodus 32:18
There are many reasons why I love the Red Sox. And though the sight lines are often better, the commentary more informative, and the bathroom and snacks closer at hand at home, there are many reasons why I love going to Fenway Park a few times each season to experience a game in person. One of those reasons comes in the middle of the eighth inning, each and every home game, regardless of the weather or the score. At that point, as certain as we can be of anything in this life, the recording of Neil Diamond singing his 1969 hit, “Sweet Caroline” rings out across the stadium, and just as certainly, the great majority of the 37,000 people jammed together in that space join our voices to sing along. And as the energy builds toward a climax, Neil and the band drop out, leaving us on our own, in one, unified voice, to chant the beloved refrain, “So good, so good, so good, so good!” And God saw that it was good.
Why all of this fuss over a silly (but catchy) pop song from long ago, you might wonder? It started when Amy Tobey, who was in charge of the music at Fenway back in 1997 played the recording in honor of a friend who had a child named Caroline. People liked it, so the song found its way into the regular rotation, played at various times from game to game, and the singing tradition evolved. This went on until 2002, when Charles Steinberg, VP of Public Affairs, wanted to ritualize the practice by having it played consistently in the middle of the eighth inning to galvanize the fans’ energy as the home team prepared to bat toward the end of the game. And it’s been that way ever since!
Why this matters to me is that while I feel very strongly connected to communities of people who share my values and my interests, I am not often in situations where I share a common passion with people whose world view is different- if not diametrically opposed- to my own. But at Fenway, while almost all of us share a passion for the Red Sox (the odd Yankees fan excepted), or at least a passion for baseball, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that pretty much every political perspective across the spectrum is represented. Yet when we sing “Sweet Caroline” together, we sing with one voice, all differences aside, if only for the moment of that song. But such a sweet moment! And such a reminder that the kind of community we need to foster is not built on sameness or adherence to prescribed doctrine, but on finding and celebrating what we hold in common and building on that to create a truly diverse community that values all of us. Easier said than done, but worth striving for! “Sweet Caroline”…..sweet community! So good! [Here’s a video clip to enjoy:https://youtube.com/shorts/2AkGnScxyzU?feature=share God of Us All, please help us build communities based not on sameness, but on our common needs, goals and humanity, that we may all be one. Forgive us for the divisions we foster among your people. Amen.
