tiger woods and questions of grace

I have only once touched a golf club. After that, I found it far more rewarding to watch golf than to play it. If truth be told, I started watching televised golf because my mother-in-law is an enthusiastic fan and I found myself caught up in her passion.

I grew quickly into a Tiger Woods' fan. What drew me into the wide circle of Tiger-followers was his amazing gift to creatively and imaginatively work his way out of the tough spots he found himself in on the golf course, all of which, for the most part, were of his own making, as is true of any golfer.

It is difficult to be a Tiger Woods' fan these days. How can one admire a man who has seemed to handle his commitment to his wife and children so carelessly and arrogantly? It seems as if his wildchild days that he enjoyed prior to his marriage have never stopped.

Tiger's response has been to hole up and, I suspect, to try to creatively and imaginatively work his way out of the tough spot he has found himself in which, by all appearances, is of his own making. Why would we think that he would handle his personal life any differently than he would handle himself on the golf course?

Like many, I will never again see Tiger in the same way. I don't put much stock in cheating on your spouse and inflicting wounds on your family, those you claim to love. The easy thing would be for his wife to take the children and run! That would hurt him! The far more difficult thing would be for Tiger to honor his commitment to his wife and family, if his wife is willing to let him, and do the rigorous work that it would take for his marriage to work. Can you imagine the new found respect that Tiger would receive if that were to happen?

It doesn't take much to kick a guy when he's down. It takes a great more energy to encourage a guy to change his cheating ways. This is no "cheap grace" of which I'm speaking. It entails Tiger changing his lifestyle, becoming transparent and honest. It is about his being refined by many experiences of grace.

This is not some naive rambling. It is the belief of one for whom God's grace has been sufficient over and over again. It is the belief that with God, all things are possible.