When the “Mighty” fallDecember 3rd, 2009 by Todd JohnsonMost everyone has heard about the misadventures of Tiger Woods in the last couple of days. I read a great post and thoughtful perspective on the late developments which I highly commend to you. Click the continue reading command and then the link. Click here 22 Responses to “When the “Mighty” fall”Leave a Reply |
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 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:43-45 (ESV) Reading: “These Last Days: A Christian View of History” Compilation of Scholars & Pastors “John Stott: A Global Ministry, vol.2″ Timothy Dudley-Smith “Think” John Piper Listening: |
At one time, being a avid golfer, followed Tiger for mamy years, loving golf as I do, at first I had many mixed emotions. Not true, anger, disappointment. Now, that I have let my Irish temperament get the best of me… I feel a very DEEP SORRY, for both he, his wife, and children. How very sad, to have everything, and really have nothing. What a wonderful, and beautiful life they could have, if they knew Jesus. My heart truly grives for them. And yes, if you love this family, as I do… PRAY FOR THEM. They are so lost.
Blessings…
Thanks for the post Todd.
It puts all our sins into perspective in the light of God and His grace..
I initally didnt want to believe that this man had sunk to the level of cheating on his wife and family when he has everything this world can offer. But if you dont know and love Jesus, you truely have nothing. Im very saddened by this and agree that prayer for Tiger and his family are what is needed. They are truely lost without Jesus.
ps.. Todd, very good article. Hey, I bet if his father was alive, he would have beem taking a belt to his back side, with his shenanigans.
Blessings…
I am so thankful that I do not have a media team inspecting and amplifying the sin in my life. Being convicted of my own sin is heavy guilt in itself….but to have millions of people judging me with no compassion or forgiveness would be overwhelming. I am so thankful that much of my sins are between me and my forgiving Lord.
Tiger Woods has been the easiest athlete for America to root for in the past 30 years. He’s Cassius Clay without the Muhamed Ali, he’s Jim Brown without the Malcom X, he Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire without the steroids and he’s Larry Bird without the French Lick, Ind., and he’s Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson in the “HD” generation- his appeal has transcended racial, political and social-economic divides like no other athlete of this generation. Tiger Woods is also a sinner.
I agree with ya, Shauna, in that it does seem like Tiger has worked his way into a tougher spot in that he now must deal with his sin in a very public way (in comparison to the rest of us non-billion dollar athletes) because of the media horde and pop-culture infatuation with all things “Tiger”; however, we will now hear an abundance of social commentators wax eloquent about how “we, as Americans, are a forgiving people.” This is both a true and dangerous fact. When I was a kid, I loved the LA Lakers. James Worthy got caught in adultery towards the end of the “Showtime” era of Lakers basketball. Worthy was a household name back then, as the NBA in general, and the Lakers specifically, were in their heyday. He didn’t live up to his sir-name, however. When it came out as to what he had done in cheating on his wife and family, there was speculation as to how he would be able to deal with the situation AND compete in the middle of an NBA season. The next game the Lakers played, during the pre-game introductions, James Worthy received one of the loudest ovations of his career. Now, this was done as a show of support by some, and a sign of forgiveness by others, but I’ve always wondered just how many people in the arena were simply glad that Worthy had proved to just as Un-Worthy as the rest of us. Misery loves company, and so do sinners.
Tiger’s appeal may be “transcendent” in our society, but not in our Lord’s Kingdom. His need for Jesus is just as desperate and evident as our need for Him. Tiger’s situation is very saddening because sin hurts and ultimately kills- it kills marriages and families and relationships, not just endorsement deals. The above article is all I’ll read about Tiger’s situation because the current “revelations” are nothing we don’t already know from God’s own mouth in Scripture, and they sadden me. Our prayers should most certainly be offered on behalf of all involved, hurt and entangled in this situation.
Wow! Sorry TJ, for the book I just posted on here. Hope it doesn’t kill this thread. My bad.
Good blog. Good stuff Mr. Action.
Off topic, but TODD – will we ever see more of the “Lloyd-Jones’ Legacies”? Those were cool.
Yeah TJ, I wont kill one of those threads.
(Like I did this one. Again, sorry and my bad!)
I killed this thread so badly that nobody even had the chance to bring up the parallel between Tiger Woods and King Uzziah (who had done some crazy-amazing things in his gifted life, but who was known as simply “Uzziah the Leper” after a very public defeat at the hands of sin, 2nd Chron. 26:23), and how Tiger will be known as “Tiger the Adulterer” regardless of how many apologies he issues or Majors he wins- BUT how the only thing that eternally matters in all of this is that Tiger seek forgiveness from God the Father through Jesus His Son (like King DAVID, 2nd Sam. 12:13).
Chavez.. you have never killed a thread. Your contributions are always welcomed and insightful. Blog on.
Joseph – I think there’s one or two ore Legacies I can post. Let’s see what I can do.
I think that we can all say “there, but for the Grace of God, go I” in this and other sin situations. No one is above the temptations of this world. The problem comes when we give in to them.
Sorry, I posted before I read the article. But at least I was thinking along the same lines ;-}
Good stuff Action. Tiger really was our golden boy wasn’t he. Captain America. Its sad, but not shocking, to find that he was out of control sexually. Thanks for your insightful post.
Tiger in His Own Cage,
There is a area of concern for me that transcends and includes Tiger Woods. It involves Money, Image and Power and the vehicle to create the golden calf . This can be seen most directly in sports.
Andre Agassi brazenly spoke the mantra of every young athlete trying to cash in on shoe contracts , soft drinks and car endorsements etc….when he spoke for Canon’s Rebel camera…” Image is Everything”. Remember that. Let’s face it..most if not all of us have never met Tiger Woods. He comes addressed to us through Media. Unless you run in his circles, the closest you or I will ever come to meeting him will be at a Charity Event, which will cost you Money or at at Golfing event , which will cost you money.His persona is a manufactured and Ad Agency invention. Tiger was not only gifted as an athlete but as a self promoter. He wanted us to believe he was Jesse Owens.But in actuality was more like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordon…all likeable athletes who were fallen after their pickadillos found them out.
Advertizers , Tour Organizers , Fundraisers all had a stake in promoting the “Tiger Woods Brand”. Tiger Woods brought in the Money. He was Money. It was only a matter of time before the cult of personality and the actual person collided. And here we are. I guess it has come out that many reporters knew about his past indiscretions and yet there was not a “Nathan” among them.
I am not a bit surprised in this latest scandal. Is he not a man? Saved or unsaved… how is he different that you or me other than his gift as an athlete?
As a country we have propped up another man and he is our chief executive in the White House. Its the cult of personality again. In the sixties, reporters so loved Kennedy that they never reported his known infidelities. His image and persona..his Camelot…were more important. Obama is known to smoke. This is true and fact. Have you ever seen a picture of him smoking? Why not. Media is perpetuating image. The Golden Calf.
I pray for Tiger, but I pray more for those taken in by the Cult of Personality and for those in the MarketPlace that promote the lie to make money. There…I said it.
Hey Frank.. thanks so much for sharing. You know about the field of advertizers, etc., and it opened up a new door for me, to realize how really sad it is for all of them. The one point you made: “and yet there was not a “Nathan” among them.” It breaks my heart to think, that out all those men and women, not one of them spoke up to him. I didn’t think of that in those terms. But, like my mom used to say, it’s all about MONEY… sad.
Pray, that we as Christians, we will ALWAYS have a “NATHAN” in our lives. Thank again.
Blessings..
Frank…well said. Thanks.
I was convicted of this verse this morning… I wanted to share and hopefully get brotherly advice:
“1 Cor. 5: 9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” ”
Can I ask the blogger’s thoughts on this? I know none of us are perfect…so how can we judge? are we supposed to be addressing sin that is committed within our the church without remorse?
Yes, Shauna. Absolutely. We begin with ourselves.
The point of the article, and the reason I’ve linked to it here, is that I believe he does a good job at taking a good look at ourselves. Tiger has reminded us that “sin is lurking”.
This is how the article ends..
“this story should humble and sober us. It should make us ask: Are there any so-called “secret sins” in my life? Is there anything I have done that I hope nobody discovers? Is there anything right now in my life that I should confess to God and the appropriate individuals?
And this should leave us more amazed by grace because there, but for the grace of God, go I.”
Sadly enough I know so many practicing and fellowshipping Christian Godly men that cheat.
Us as Christians talking aboutTigar Woods and him being lost and not knowing Christ is gossip.
Perhaps we should turn our thoughts and blogs into prayers, and while doing so, remembering that the brothers that sit next to you on Sunday mornings need that prayer just as much.Just because you know Christ does not mean you do not sin nor cheat. Who is worse and who needs more prayer… the professing Christian that commits sin or the non believing man who does not profess Christ.
I once was married to a beautiful Godly man that professed Christ and taught and was a leader in the church, who, so freely left me for another woman. Then I married a man that was not a believer who treated me far better and acted more like a Godly husband than my ex professing Christian husband.
What is said about Tigar is gossip and media speculation. We need not comment on his life, but the life of the world and the need of prayer for ALL.
Jacq – You must not have read the article that this post linked to and is based off of. I would advise that you do because it is the opposite of what you are accusing the people on this blog of doing, namely, gossiping.
Here’s an excerpt from the article that represents the spirit in which it was written…
“let us make sure we do not join the hunt. A Christian’s response to this story should be distinctly different. We should not be entertained by the news. We should not have a morbid interest in all the details. We should be saddened and sobered. We should pray for this man and even more for his wife.
And we can be sure that in the coming days we will be in conversations with friends and family where this topic will emerge. And when it does, we can avoid simply listening to the latest details and speculations, and avoid speaking self-righteously, but instead we can humbly draw attention to the grace of God in the gospel.”
Ironic – this is the Year of the Tiger.
I would like to begin by thanking you for the useful information you are supplying! I will definitly add you URL to my bookmarks for future reading.