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FIRST PERSON: Praying for Tiger by Brett Maragni Date: Dec 23, 2009 |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--Here we go again. Another “model” athlete falls from his lofty perch … and what a lofty perch it is! The bigger they are the harder they fall. They don’t come much bigger than this one. Tiger Woods is easily the most popular athlete on the planet.Every few years the discussion is re-opened: Are athletes role models? Perhaps no other athlete has had as much to say on this issue than Tiger’s buddy Charles Barkley, who famously quipped, “I’m no role model.” Expanding on the subject, he has said, “I’m not a role model. … Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.” So are athletes role models? Yes and no. First, the yes. For a lot of people, Michael Jordan’s dominance on the court and image made him a credible authority for all kinds of products. Some of these products, like basketball shoes, are easily linked to his area of expertise. Other products, like men’s underwear and breakfast cereal, are not as easily linked. Yet, enough people want to be “like Mike” that companies are willing to shell out lots of money to get his face and autograph on their packaging and in their commercials, even six and a half years after his retirement. Now, the no. Athletes are models of athletic prowess. Tiger Wood’s role as a golfer made him globally famous and filthy rich. If anyone is going to model behavior after him, it should specifically be his behavior of playing golf. Hitting the same golf ball as him, drinking the same sports drink as him and even wearing a red shirt on the course will not improve your golf game one stroke. Again, “Sir” Charles provides a great example of the limits of product endorsement as an athlete: “These are my new shoes. They’re good shoes. They won’t make you rich like me. They won’t make you rebound like me. They definitely won’t make you handsome like me. They’ll only make you have shoes like me. That’s it.” As Christians, we are called to live in this world with discernment. Discernment demands that we rightly assess the value we should place on athletes. We can admire the skill, determination, hard work, sacrifice and intelligence that is required to excel at a world-class level in a sport. We can especially admire when they graciously and wisely handle all the pressure that comes with fame and wealth. We should most especially admire them when they love the Lord and represent Him well. But what about Tiger Woods? How do we assess his value? Word is spreading that the PGA family, media included, were not ignorant of Tiger’s wandering ways. But the PGA family collectively assessed Tiger’s economic value to the sport as so crucial that he was afforded his cherished “privacy.” The public was “protected” from the truth. This should be no surprise. After all, when it came to performance-enhancing drugs, everyone in baseball turned their heads the other direction for well over a decade. We want our idols to shine. We want to believe they are everything we want them to be with no warts or blemishes. But idols are meant to fall. Only one – Jesus Christ -- will remain spotless and perfect and faithful and true. While we may continue to admire Tiger’s prowess on the golf course, when he returns, we should also remember that he is flesh and blood and as needy of the grace of God as you and me. The companies who choose to stay with Tiger will promote products that will not make us swing like him, win tournaments like him or become as wealthy as him. They will only mean that we use the same products as him. That’s it. Finally, this saga presents Christians with an opportunity to pray for Tiger Woods, his wife Elin, their children, and the other women involved. We can also pray for Christians in the PGA family to have an opportunity to minister to Tiger and his family. I dare say most Christians who are interested in sports have read more than one article and watched more than one update on television about this scandal. But I wonder how many of us have offered up more than one prayer for the parties involved? Our curiosity draws us to this story like motorists passing a recent high-impact collision. It’s one thing to slow down and take a look, but someone needs to pull over to offer help and someone needs to dial 9-1-1. The vast majority of us may not be in a position to offer direct help, but we can all call upon the One who can help the most. --30-- Brett Maragni is senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel of Jacksonville, Fla. His Web site is www.pastorbrett.com.
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