Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Forgiveness and Privacy

On forgiveness and confession and privacy

December 2 2009


Okay, so no one is screaming for my opinion on the current mess Tiger Woods is in over his personal life. However, the joy of blogging is that you get to give your opinion on stuff whether or not people are asking for it.


So, what about Tiger?


He, apparently, screwed up in his personal life. Yes, indeed, a sports star once again proves insufficient for a hero about how to actually live life.


You know what? Tiger Woods isn't paid to be a personal role model. He's paid to play golf and sell stuff that people will buy because an awesome golfer tells them to buy. That's it. For the most part, his personal life really isn't our business.


However, it's come out in public, and how has he handled it? Well, first he tried to hide. Then he tried to deflect. And now he has come out, given a guarded admission that he did do some things he shouldn't have, and asked for privacy to work it out with his family. Remarkably, the text of his latest statement, as read by ESPN from his website, even referred to his actions as sins! That's a better confession than you'll ever get from a politician.


And that should be enough for us. Think about it. Your life isn't completely private either, but how much do you want your sins publicly dissected? What, you think you have a right to privacy? But you live out in the open, you expect certain public reactions, even if just in your own small town life. So, you are a public figure, even if not a national one. So, extend the man the same courtesy. Extend others the same courtesy.


Allow, and in church, expect public sin to carry public repentance, but don't demand all the sordid details. You don't need them. If someone has sinned against you, you know the details, they know the details, and God knows the details. If they haven't sinned against you, then that they have sought forgiveness from those they have sinned against and from God ought to be enough for you. That they will admit to needing it is enough for us to restore people to fellowship.


As for Tiger---I hope that he and his wife find peace with each other and with God. For the other people involved, a prayer that they can find better satisfaction in life than secret affairs that really bear no relationship to love.


And for us, as a nation, how about a fixation on things that matter instead? How about husbands, fathers, preachers, and deacons being the male role models for our children? You know, people that live the same type of ordinary life that most of our children will go on to live?


Crazy thought, huh?


Doug


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