Can you imagine forgiving someone who struck you over the head with a baseball bat, nearly gouging out your eye?
Can you imagine recommending the person who injured you for the highest honor in his field?
Can you imagine offering a eulogy at the funeral of the man you struck with the bat?
This story really played out on the baseball field in 1965 when Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants attacked John Roseboro of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the middle of a game. You can read about the incident here.
Ask your students the questions posed above and briefly introduce the incident. Then play a twenty-two minute video documentary that explains what happened to Juan Marichal and John Roseboro in the years that followed.
After the video, write the following questions on the board for discussion or journal writing:
- What is your reaction to the video?
- How do you feel about John Roseboro?
- How would you feel about Juan Marichal?
- What did you learn about forgiveness and reconciliation from this story?
