"The Power of One"

 

“The Power of One”

 

Each year our community bowling league ends the season with a pairs’ tournament in which the top three teams receive small cash awards. Several years ago I was the last bowler and by some miracle converted a split in the last frame and finished with a strike on the bonus ball. When the scores were tabulated my teammate and I captured third place by one pin! So one can make a difference—just ask Tiger Woods who won the 2019 Masters’ Tournament by one stroke and pocketed $1,211,000 more than the three who tied for second.

As a history buff I did some research on one-vote-difference incidents:

*In 1645 Oliver Cromwell was named Lord Protector of England by a single vote in Parliament.

*During the American Revolution one vote defeated a movement to replace English with German as the Colonies’ “official” language.

*In 1816 the construction of the Erie Canal was approved by a single vote.

*In 1845 Texas was admitted as the 28^th U.S. State by a one vote majority.

*In 1868 President Andrew Johnson avoided impeachment in the Senate by one senator’s vote.

*In 1923 the Nazis elected Adolph Hitler party leader by one vote.

*In 2000 George W. Bush won the Presidency by one electoral vote.

We have no way of knowing how history would be different if these and other such decisions had gone the other way.

The power of one is also seen in the biblical record:

*One man’s family was saved when God judged the world by the great flood (Genesis 6:5-8).

*One man’s sin brought defeat to Israel at Ai (Joshua 7).

*One prophet of God won the battle over 850 idolatrous prophets (1 Kings 18).

*One man motivated the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall (Nehemiah 2).

But here’s the most far-reaching example of the power of one: “…Christ…suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones.”(1 Peter 3:18, TM, emphasis added). And because He did God declares us righteous in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Never underestimate the power of one! It (or you or I) can make a big difference.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan