A Tiger Attack

Tiger Woods, golf's legendary player has now formally proven his humanity. He is sinful! His sin was open and witnessed publicly before all. He evidently was involved in an extra-marital affair. So let's say it here....this is sad, sinful, shameful and we all wish it had never happened.

While many gasp and hold their 'sanctified' hand across their mouths, let me rise to defend Tiger. Oh, don't confuse what I just wrote. I do not defend his sin. Sin....all sin will be judged! God has not changed his mind about how much He hates sin, and primarily because it brings separation between a Holy God and a sinful man. He has further promised to pour out His wrath upon all sin. Either it was poured out on vicariously upon Christ when we ask forgiveness....or it will be poured out on the individual who rejects forgiveness and salvation, eternally.

So here now is for Tiger's defense. Why the Tiger attack? We, and the media especially, act as if he is the first person to ever make mistakes. They act as if being a high profile, public figure prevents mistakes and makes one somehow above failure. While we act that way, we all know it is not true. We all fail!

Oh yes we do! WE ALL FAIL!! If this keyboard had a way to emphasize it bigger I would! You, my dear reader...have failed. "All have sinned and come short..." If you put your own life under the microscope, you won't have to travel back many days in your calendar where you thought negative thoughts, looked at something unholy, gossiped, thought about quitting, had a judgmental attitude, felt 'deserving' of something, complained, lusted, coveted, cheated, or felt overly religious for not having cursed when someone pulled out in front of you. If one of these didn't hit you then you probably just sinned because of pride, a sin which God adamantly hates.

Since we are sinners, who gave us the right to jump in the forest of humanity and attack a tiger, or any other of God's creatures? Oh but we do! We attack and judge and condemn and cluck our tongues as if we are a total stranger to sin. It appalls me at how the media flocks like flies to a rotting carcass, when a leader fails. The love it....swill it down....roll in it like a dog does a maggot infested possom skin alongside the road. Yet, the ones behind the tablets, computer screens and television cameras are just as sinful as the tiger they attack.

It is my prayer that Tiger will have more friends to help him up than enemies to pull him down. I believe that one day we will all need, as the song says, '...somebody to lean on!' We'd have a lot better world if we only rejected the people who rejected help...the 100th time. "Oh that's bizarre!" you might say. Well consider that Jesus asked us to practice forgiveness 490 times per day for the same person. (70 x 7) Now that is awesome and it is what will save the world from sin.

In conclusion, I am defending Tiger....the man, the son, the father, the husband, the icon, the individual Christ died for. I do not defend his sin. I only want him to be free from the cannibals that at this point are more dangerous to him than the sin itself. For these kinds of people can push you over the edge and prevent the redemption and restoration that Jesus so willing gave up His precious life to give us.