Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Tiger Woods - My Take

What's today's count?  I think that we are up to ten or eleven women who claim to have been romantically involved with Tiger.  Each day the media churns out stories about his 'brand', his future, his family, and his motives.  Yuck. 

Though I don't golf it's been easy to admire his talent and achievements.  Apart from Jack Nicklaus there hasn't been anyone like him.  As the highest paid athlete in the world he can have just about everything a person could want.  He fell in love with a very beautiful woman and asked her to be his wife.  For a time he had it all.  Thus, his infidelity has been both puzzling and tawdry.

The women he's been romantically linked to seem so far below his level of achievement - cocktail waitresses, porn stars, celebrity groupees, and aspiring models.  One is tempted to be critical even sanctimonious about his scandalous deeds.  I found myself saying, "How could he throw it all away?"  "How could he be so stupid?"  Yet that response is inadequate.  Perhaps the biblical response is to look at Tiger and see a mirror of what lurks in our own hearts. 

Jesus said it well when he warned us that to look upon a woman with lust is an act of adultery (Matthew 5:27-28).  How many times have you secretly wished to do what Tiger has done?  What do you watch on TV when everyone else has gone to bed?  Which websites do you secretly visit? 

So the next time you hear a report about Tiger's private life and are tempted to pontificate remind yourself of these words attributed to Jesus, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone...” (John 8:7).

2 comments:

Ken e said...

Very excellent! I repeated this back to my dad the other day, because we've been talking about the temptation these professional athletes go through.

Wes White said...

Good post. This is a great way to talk about current events. Keep up the good work and the good challenges!