Although its population has declined in recent years, New York is still one of the largest cities in the world and remains the largest city in America. It’s 8.3 million people are spread out among five boroughs: Manhattan, Staten Island, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Long  Island.

I am a proud native of New York. I was born at Unity Hospital in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I went to Holy Redeemer Elementary School in Freeport, Long Island. I graduated from St. Francis Preparatory High School in Fresh Meadows, Queens and I worked for consulting firm Cap Gemini, then located at 755 7th Avenue in Manhattan. Although I never lived in the Bronx, I would visit often.

I visited the Bronx because it is the home of Yankee Stadium—where the New York Yankees play. They were my favorite baseball team growing up. Players Bucky Dent, Ricky Henderson, Willie Randolph, and of course Reggie Jackson defined their positions and were household names. Owner George Steinbrenner was a tabloid fixture. Even though there was another baseball team in New York—the Mets, whose stadium was closer to where I lived—I never was a Mets fan. In fact, although both teams played in New York, you were either a Mets fan or a Yankees fan. There is no way you could be both. Trying to do so would be analogous to trying to be a fan of both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. Uhmmm—not gonna happen! Even though both teams are in the same city, no one roots for both of them. You’re either down with the Fakers (I mean the Lakers, lol) or the Clippers. You can’t be down with both.

That is why such a furor erupted in my hometown a few weeks ago when embattled Mayor Eric Adams appeared at a parade wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with the logos of both the Yankees and the Mets. Politically, it was pretty obvious what he was doing. Since he is the mayor of the whole city, he was trying to appeal to everyone. Both teams had made the playoffs, and there was a possibility that they might face each other in the World Series. However, from almost every other conceivable vantage point, Mr. Adams erred. As one observer put it, his action “pleased zero sports fans.” Someone wrote on Instagram that the mayor committed a cardinal error. He wrote: “Mets, Yankees, you can’t be down the middle…it is vital for New Yorkers to choose a side. To do any less is to brand yourself as an uncommitted and unserious observer unworthy of the title of fan.”

This brouhaha is a reminder that you can’t have it both ways. Not only in sports, but also in life, you have to pick a side. In one of the greatest episodes in all of Scripture, the prophet Elijah issued a summons to the nation of Israel to meet him on Mt. Carmel, where he posed a searing question. A famine had devastated the nation and a weak king who was being duped by false prophets had lured the nation into idolatry. Once

they arrived on Mt. Carmel, Elijah laid down a challenge. According to 1 Kings 18:21:

Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the Lord is God, worship Him! But if Baal is God, worship him!” The people didnot say a word.

The people did not say a word because then, as now, we prefer to have things both ways. We want to root for the Yankees and the Mets, the Lakers and the Clippers. This past Sunday, I joked with one of the Deacons at our church that I have noticed that he always wears the jersey of whatever team is winning, lol.

We want it both ways!

We want to be the boss and leave early.

We want to be married and unaccountable or independent.

We want to be rich and not work.

We want to be physically fit and have dessert every day.

We want to serve Jesus on Sunday but the devil during the week!

But sooner or later, you gotta pick a side.

The great Chinese teacher Confucius once said, “He who chases two rabbits will catch

neither.”