
John Wooden was perhaps the greatest college basketball coach of all time. He was the head coach for UCLA for many years. He won ten national championships in a twelve year period, including seven years in a row. During that period of time, his basketball team won 88 straight games. He was called “The Wizard of Westwood.”
Several years ago, somebody asked Coach Wooden to give his opinion of former Indiana coach Bobby Knight, in a critical way. Here was the answer of Coach Wooden, “I believe that Bob Knight is an outstanding teacher of the game of basketball. I don't approve of his methods, but I'm not a judge, and I'm not judging Bob Knight. There is so much bad in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us, it hardly behooves me to talk about the rest of us.”
The Apostle James wrote, "Does anyone think he is religious? If he does not control his tongue, his religion is worthless and he deceives himself." (James 1:26)
In the book of Proverbs we find these true words: “Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal.” (12:18)
The words of Coach Wooden are true. There is so much bad in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us, it hardly behooves us to talk about the rest of us.