WHY ONE BAD APPLE NEED NOT SPOIL THE WHOLE CRATE...
IN 1970, The Jackson 5 released a hit single which included the lyrics, "One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch, baby." I was reminded of that this past week as I heard about the antics of one of America's premier olympic swimmers, Ryan Lochte. Not content to take his once in a lifetime, olympic achievement home, he and several other swimmers, by most accounts, vandalized a bathroom, challenged the local police authorities, and maybe most unsettling,filed a false report and lied to the news media. One more disturbing detail- they didn't recant their tale until the details of their story began to unravel and Lochte had already returned to the United States.
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f I left the story end here, it might just be another frustrating example of "The Ugly American", where the arrogant, entitled youth of America make foreign countries their playground, with no regard for the rule of law or the importance of being a gracious guest. ( Don't tell Emily Post)
But the story doesn't end there.
Consider what took place when 2nd Lt Sam Kendricks heard the National Anthem being played as he was speeding down the runway toward his pole-vault, and promptly stopped, stood at attention, and waited for the Anthem to conclude. According to Eric Metaxas, When Fiji defeated Great Britain to win the country's first ever gold medal, the winning players gathered together and sang, " We have overcome/ By the blood of the Lamb/ and the word of the Lord/ We have overcome." Then, according to Metaxas they received their medal on their knees. And there's more. Katie Ledecky, who in one particular race swam so fast that there were no other swimmers even in the camera frame. She said after one race, "my faith in Christ is who I am." And finally, Olympic diver, David Boudia, who recognizes his need to represent Christ with integrity said," If I represent a good God, I need to be that visual representation of him all the time, not just when I feel like it."
There is no doubt there will always be "bad apples" and at times they may turn out to be believers who are immature or uncommitted to the course of a believer who is pursuing Christ at all cost. And yet every so often I can smile, become somewhere there is someone, who had heard the voice of Jesus, has answered the call that sees serving as superior to being served, and desires to imitate their Savior while they make Him known to the world beyond. (Mark 10:45)
Now, that's a team worth being part of!
