Josh Eckel and Tyler Mileger, Christian founders of a small clothing company based in Dallas, Texas, called “Play Hard Pray Harder”, filed a lawsuit against Josh Hamilton, also a professing Christian, after discovering that Hamilton had been promoting the same “Play Hard Pray Harder” slogan on clothing sold by Scripture Art, a company that Hamilton co-founded with his wife. Hamilton is a major league baseball player now with the Los Angeles Angels, formerly with the Texas Rangers.

At least the parties were able to settle short of a trial. Media reports gave Hamilton the credit for the settlement. He cited the admonition in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that, “if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well” (Matthew 5:40). But the Texas company’s lawyer told the Associated Press that his clients “were extremely disappointed that the issue had to be extensively litigated for Hamilton to do the right thing.”

Did either side try to resolve this within the church, rather than in the civil courts? Paul admonishes Christians not to sue, but to find wise people within the church to settle their disputes (I Corinthians 6:1-8). Peacemaker Ministries is available to do just that, and has trained hundreds of “wise” Christians around the U.S. (and the world) to resolve disputes between believers. It’s too bad these guys didn’t all pray harder about how to resolve this privately and keep it out of court altogether.