Not So Tigeriffic....

So the past few days have been filled with news about Tiger Woods. And although I have never been one to really follow any sports figure much less comment on their life for some reason I can't get Tiger off my mind. Braxton and I talked last night about the latest rumors and mud slinging that has been in the media about Tiger. "He has cheated on his wife, several times apparently." One commentator said, "Tiger doesn't need to worry, his endorsements will still hang on to him." I hope that is not at the top of Tiger's worry list right now but who knows.

ESPN, The Today Show, ABC, NBC, etc...everyone is headlining this story. And for what? What is it that peaks our interest and consumes our conversation with something so tragic and sad. Is it that Superman in our minds has fallen off of his pedestal that we put him on? Is it that somewhere deep inside our souls we secretly are glad that he is not as perfect as he seems? Maybe a little more human like us? Is it that his sin brought into light makes us feel like maybe our sin is not quite as bad? Maybe he can hit a golf ball 350 yards, maybe he is the most unbelievable golfer the world has ever seen, but at the end of the day he is not as good of a person as we think we are? And therein lies the trouble.

Sin is sin. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It also says there is no one righteous, not one. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that some sinners are worse than others. That these sins are the "really bad ones" and these are the "okay" ones. No. Tiger is a sinner. No news flash there, or should I say it shouldn't be. We are all "spiritually bankrupt" and until we realize it and mourn over it we will continue to point fingers and make ourselves feel better by categorizing sin and throwing stones.

So what do you do with Tiger? Well, we should have never put him on a pedestal in the first place. But since we did we should not be surprised that he fell. He is not Superman after all at least not in life, maybe just on the golf course. We should get on our knees for two reasons, 1. To pray for him and his family and 2. To give God praise that we are spiritually bankrupt and because of that he sent his son to die for us that we might have life. I am going to drop my stone and walk away because my sin is no different than that of Tiger Woods. I am just guilty of doing the ones that are a little easier to hide.

"So instead of loving what you think is peace, love other men and love God above all. And instead of hating the people you think are warmongers, hate the appetites and the disorder in your own soul, which are the causes of war. If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed—but hate these things in yourself, not in another.”
- Thomas Merton