Area ministers explain spiritual lessons to learn from Tiger Woods saga
http://www.indystar.com/article/20100306/LIVING09/3060325/1007/LIVING/Area-ministers-explain-spiritual-lessons-to-learn-from-Tiger-Woods-saga
Compiled by Bill McCleery, The Indianapolis (IN) Star
March 6, 2010
The story of Tiger Woods’ infidelities has captivated Americans for several months.
Last month, the golfer gave a nationally televised apology in which he admitted to “irresponsible and selfish” behavior and outlined steps to return to public life.
The Rev. Michael Galvin, Holy Family Episcopal Church, Fishers:
For me, this country’s fascination with Tiger Woods’ fall from grace is perhaps as troubling as the stories of his demise.
First, Tiger’s infallibility should never have been assumed. He is quite human, like the rest of us. Secondly, as uncomfortable as this might be, each of us is fully capable of making as big a mess of our lives as Tiger has. While your personal demise may not come at the hands of sexual sin, we each fall short of the glory of God in myriad ways.
It should come as no surprise, in a culture where the pursuit of ultimate personal satisfaction is a top priority, that the fall of one who seems to have achieved it makes top headlines. But the reality is that none of us will ever find ultimate satisfaction in money, sex or power. We each have an emptiness in our lives that will remain void until we search in the right place for ultimate satisfaction. That hole in your heart can only be filled with the love of God. Unless and until we get that, the satisfaction we seek will never be realized.
Sexual sin is a slippery slope that can have far-reaching consequences. But it is not a separation from God that is irreversible. Turning away from that which separates us from God, confessing our sin and seeking the Lord in all that we do can begin to restore us to the life that God intended for us to have.
As for others who find themselves consumed by this issue, I would like to suggest what I believe to be an appropriate Christian response: “Always believe the best about people, while being fully prepared to acknowledge the worst that people can do. Err on the side of gullibility. Hope and pray for the best, but do not be confounded by the worst.”
The Rev. Anastasios Gounaris, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Carmel:
My faith tradition has never been so much about reaching perfection as it has been about realizing repentance. God’s people have often been led by flawed figures — such as David, who sinned against God and yet, in time, repented and achieved a hallowed place in history.
Forgetting his beginnings, King David came to see himself as entitled to the “perks” of his position. This haughtiness and loss of humility led him to commit adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. He initially plots to conceal his offense. In the end, it leads him to orchestrate the battlefield death of this trusted general.
Incurring the displeasure of both God and man, David pays mightily for his sin. The child produced by this union dies. His reign becomes tumultuous, his hold on power, tenuous. Seeing his sin — and the results of it — David returns to his senses and repents. Nonetheless, his private failings take a huge permanent toll on his public life and the lives of his constituents.
Yet, through this “change of mind” (the meaning of the Greek word metanoia), David survives. His repentance eventually allows his son Solomon, perhaps the greatest of Israel’s ancient kings and builder of the legendary “First” Temple, to ascend the throne. Had David not persevered, none of this would be possible. More importantly from a Christian perspective, it would have spelled the end of the lineage that ultimately gave birth to Jesus, the Christ.
To be sure, Tiger Woods is no biblical king. Nonetheless, as a family, cultural and sports leader, his private failings have had a similarly immense effect on his family, his “empire” and his public. David’s story shows us that, through being humbled, Woods can still leave a constructive and positive legacy to his family, his sport and his fans.
Pastor Reid Walker, Mount Comfort United Methodist Church, Hancock County:
No matter how you slice this story, rather than everyone else having “the Tiger” by the tail, it appears the “tale” now has Tiger.
It’s never fun to be in the “dark night of the soul,” as Tiger now is. I’ve been there, and so have you.
As Tiger described his path to renewal, he indicated that his answers would come from within himself. Based on what Tiger is just coming out of, this is a potential recipe for other future disasters.
Biblical Christianity teaches we will all ultimately mess it up big-time. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
The Bible asserts that our only real answer is the moral, ethical and spiritual leadership of God through Christ and the Holy Spirit.
But let’s do this in a golf way to prove that point. Every Jan. 1 of his considerable career, Jack Nicklaus would seek out his coach, the late, great Jack Grout.
“Jack, teach me how to play golf again,” Nicklaus would say.
Grout would then take Jack Nicklaus through the paces of how to hold a club, grip, stance, etc. Nicklaus was humble enough and smart enough to receive instruction from someone else.
Nicklaus’ answers did not lie within himself. In fact, Nicklaus recognized that Grout would see things he could not see. Neither Tiger nor any of us will ever conquer life’s demons on our own. We need the grace of God and the fellowship of community to be transformed.
The real reason we should all want God in our lives is because we need God in our lives — and Tiger does, too.
Compiled by Bill McCleery