Should a Christian ever boo?

Brandon Phillips, the second baseman for the Reds, shot his mouth off about the Cardinals when they played in Cincinnati last month. This led to a fight in which Johnny Cueto, a Reds pitcher, started kicking wildly into a bunch of players, giving the St. Louis backup catcher Jason LaRue a concussion that ended his season.

When the Reds came to St. Louis Friday, the fans booed Phillips so loudly that the announcers couldn’t be heard over the noise. These boos only became louder as he proceeded to make four outs. In the words of one commentator, the crowd was “merciless.”

As a Cardinals fan and a Christian, I found this particular word choice fascinating. Of course, it’s correct. They showed no mercy. Just as clearly, he was only getting what he deserved. But should they have been more merciful to him?

As a fan, I would have been willing to give him applause rather than boos under one and only one circumstance. If he had apologized, contritely admitting he was foolish and that words have consequences, I would cheer him. Punishment encourages repentance, and repentance encourages mercy.