God's Coaching #44

God's Coaching #44

Canadians Jamie Salé and David Pelletier entered the pairs figure-skating finals of the 2002 Winter Olympics in second place. The leaders were Russia’s Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, but Anton stumbled during the performance. When Jamie and David skated a beautiful, flawless routine, the crowd in Salt Lake City, Utah, roared. The commentators proclaimed victory for the Canadians. They had clearly outskated the competition.

But when the judges’ scores were announced, nobody could believe their ears. The Russians had won. The crowd booed. The commentators were horrified. David and Jamie were heartbroken. The next day, newspapers proclaimed, “Robbed!” And skating officials launched an investigation.

It didn’t take long to uncover the truth. A French judge confessed that she had been ordered to give the victory to the Russians. The competition was fixed. So the decision was made to give the Canadian pair gold medals, too.

What’s the Score?

God was not happy about judges cheating in the Olympics. How can we tell? The Bible is clear about God’s view of injustice. “I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing,” he says. Justice is righting a wrong, often for those who can’t do it themselves. Many Bible verses tell us to work for justice, especially for people who are weak or who are being taken advantage of. Zechariah 7:9-10 tells us, “Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor.”

That applies to the Olympics and to our everyday lives. We should try to help other people when we see them being mistreated or cheated. What if no one would have called for a closer look into the ice-skating competition? What if no one stands up against that bully in your class or helps the single mother on your block? Join God in making things right.

On the Ball

Fill in the blanks in this statement. “I know ____________________ is being mistreated. I can ______________________________ to help.” Talk to your parents about helping too.

Coach’s Comment

I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Isaiah 61:8 (NIV)