Repent ... then Relent

I caught the interview with Tiger Woods on ESPN's Sports Center while at the gym. I saw the stoic expression and listened to the guarded words. ESPN informed us repeatedly that the interview was going to last only five minutes. It timed out at 5:18 and the studio hosts were quick to pounce on the questions they felt had to be answered. Yet, with Tiger being careful with his words, they were left to flail around with guesses.

I caught myself saying "Enough!" As I looked at that flat affect, it was the look of a man engaged in battle. He was - as the old saying goes - "shell shocked." In the immortal words of the cartoon, Pogo, "He has met the enemy and he is us!" It's tough to look in the mirror and see with new eyes that the cause of all the problems and heartache is staring right back at you. There comes an unreal quality to life where one just hopes that this is a bad dream. But, when you do finally wake up ... you're neck deep in the mess.

Let the man get on with his rehabilitation. He has apologized to those who had the greatest stake in his transgressions. He has admitted responsibility, so back off.

I'm amazed (although not really) at those who either want the proverbial pound of flesh or the salacious details. The public - through some of the media - proclaims its hurt because they "believed" in Tiger as an icon of what was good and noble in life. So, when he turns out to be human, when he shows himself to have feet of clay, the worshipers turn and savage him. who knows why. Perhaps it's because their shortcomings are magnified in him. Perhaps, their misplaced worship is now tarnished. That is "their" problem, not Tiger's.

It's time to relent. In repentance, God never lets us off easy. The tale that comes to mind is that of the woman caught in adultery. Jesus ran off her accusers - not because she was innocent - but because they merely confused the issue. When this woman is face-to-face with the Son of God - the one who would pay the penalty for her sins - His words were both gracious and firm.

"Go your way." Get on with your life. Your accusers have been dealt with and your own guilt has been forgiven. But, it's the second part that brings the cure - "... and sin no longer." This is the spiritual developmental task that will take the rest of her life. She will spend the rest of her days living out the repentance she has asked for and the forgiveness that is freely given.

I have no idea what Tiger Woods will do from this point on. He says that he lost his bearings from the teachings of Buddha that his mother had imprinted on him. I hope that he would discover one who would not just ease the guilt ... but One who would take it away ... forever.

2 Kings 3-4