INTEGRITY!

Yup, this is my annual cricket special. The World Cup is on and India is in the semis. Makes the jetlag after my recent trip to S. Asia worthwhile—I am awake at odd hours to watch games halfway around the globe!

Here’s what happened the other day in the India vs. West Indies match. You see, usually a batsman waits for the umpire’s decision when the opposing team appeals for an “out.” Not this time.

It was an unclear decision to all watching. The batsman had swung at a ball which he had seemingly missed and it was collected by the wicket-keeper behind. The fielding team appealed, just in case, but the umpire shook his head. The batsman was not out, in his opinion: he had not gotten a touch on the ball.

But the one man who knew for sure that he had made contact didn’t wait for the umpire’s signal. The batsman. He turned on his heel and walked off. To deafening silence from the 30,000+ Indian fans gathered to see their hero play. The dude had declared himself out. He knew the truth. Even if no one else did. Putting his bat under his arm, without so much as a glance at the umpire or the rest of the opposition, he headed off back to the dressing room. He walked.

Sachin Tendulkar, the pint-sized (5’ 5”) Indian star, widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in history, the man who has broken pretty much every batting record there is to break, in the process collecting a humongous total of over 30,000 runs under his 37-year-old belt.

He had a lot to lose. He is just one paltry century away from his 100th international century (he has scored 100+ runs on 99 different occasions!). His team relies on him. This is the World Cup for goodness’ sakes. We need the guy. His reputation is at stake as a master-player. He could have stayed at the crease and continued his batting operations. Business as usual it would have been. Lawful it would have been. Within the game’s parameters it would have been. Hey, even the umpire said, “Not out!”

But, no, our man walks!

This, in a day when no one does. In fact, just a few days before this event, in another game, one player confessed that he knew he had actually touched the ball, but refused to walk, because the umpire—here, also—had adjudjed him “Not out!”

Thankfully, India did win the game. And Tendulkar remains the highest scorer in the current World Cup. He won more than a game.

That’s integrity for you.

How we behave when we think no one has seen, or no one is looking, or no one will observe. For God sees!

And there is no creature
hidden from His sight,
but all things are open
and laid bare to the eyes of Him
with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:13

Integrity—living, not as under the eyes of men, but under the gaze of God

… not as pleasing men, but God
who examines our hearts.
1 Thessalonians 2:4

And examine, He will, gauging our faithfulness to Him and to His standards. Our integrity tested.

The refining pot is for silver
and the furnace for gold,
but the LORD tests hearts.
Proverbs 17:3

So let us live (“walk” in the Greek is an appropriate cricketing synonym for “live”) for God.

Whether, then, you eat or drink
or whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

Integrity. At all times.