All my life, I have been warned about the ‘wrong crowd’. We are told the way the world works is that one bad apple will ruin the whole barrel, that the bad kids will influence the good kids, that bad is more influential than good. It even sounds right.
The big thing for me, though, is that Jesus did not seem to believe it. How many times does Jesus mention the Kingdom of God, comparing it to something small, like yeast or a mustard seed, or salt and light, things that work under the surface and change the nature of whatever they are introduced to?
To me, this is just one more way that Jesus changed how the world works. Love in the way of Jesus changes things, it works under the surface, it alters whatever it is introduced to, it changes the way things are and makes things the way they were meant to be.
Photo credit: panoramabanana
I am in the unique position, of at times, being the bad apple in a class and I became a teacher.
I think every apple needs cared for and is lacking something. I know Jesus saw that, he went to fulfill that lacking something and being forgiveness. Grace is nourishment my friend.
Good post!
Yes! Thanks for this thought. I’m going to share it at every meeting I attend in the next while. (lots of people working with marginalized teens)
It gives a completely Jesus perspective on apparently “unsolvable” societal problems.
BTW,I followed you here from Jesus Creed.