Brit Hume, Jesus Christ & Tiger Woods

I saw this when it really happened, and I was astounded. I couldn’t believe that someone had the courage to stand up for Jesus on national TV and not hedge around it, and I applaud FOX TV for being bold enough to run a “different view” than the other channels. Brit is doing what we are called to do – bring others to the Lord. I also think he said the very things that some of us were thinking after this story broke. Tiger was already being “stoned” by the public, but what he needed more was someone who could offer forgiveness. Maybe this low point will be when Tiger looks up and sees God.

I noted the usual false comparisons to Bakker/Swaggert, et al as a way to minimize Hume’s credibility. The typical worldview of talk show hosts seems to be that all Christians must be perfect before one’s testimony can have any value. Until universal perfection is achieved by all Christians, any opinions such as Hume’s will be countered with the usual sneering charge of hypocrisy. Not only is this requirement (along with the H-word) very selectively applied, it completely misses the point. Deliberately, in my view.

Countering Brit Hume’s proclamation of salvation needed by – and available to ALL through Jesus Christ, with vacuous shut-downs like “plenty of Christians have failed and fallen” exposes a world view that is simplistic, at best, and cannot be successfully applied to ANY group’s point of view. No “seamless garment” here. Hence relativism and further social disconnection.

It also makes our point for us. The answer to a “Christians aren’t perfect” accusation should be met with an “I’m thrilled that you understand the foundation of the Faith” sort of response, i.e., ALL have failed and fallen and will continue to do so. Achieving perfection on our own is impossible. Only Jesus Christ can accomplish this. You no longer have to be perfect to know what perfection is and those who understand all of this, acknowledge their own hypocritical nature, and choose to hang out together and show our gratitude to a loving God are often identified as……..(wait for it)………… CHRISTIANS.

Wasn’t Brit wonderful? I had no idea he had such a strong faith. I heard his original comments and was thrilled with how well he expressed his views and his faith! Let’s do pray for Tiger to come to know forgiveness and reconciliation and restoration with God foremost who will also give him eternal life andwith his wife and children

Good advice.

The odd part is the that the Buddhists interviewed by some media outlets don’t even address the issue Brit raised about lacking a mechanism for redemption and forgiveness. They just claim he “doesn’t understand Buddhism” and they’ll “be forgiving for his stupid comments.”

I’ve waited to say anything…. I’m sorry – Brit’s words, while they may reflect the need for personal salvation, miss the real point of the work that tiger must first entertain, that of sober awareness of his woundedness/pain and the need for the transformative power of the Cross. The simplicity of the evangelical message that what Tiger must need to do to ‘really recover’ is to become a Christian misses the point and is exactly why some non-believers avoid the christian faith. True, completed wholeness/salvation will transform Tiger, but simply ‘becoming a Christian’ may make absolutely no dent in his problems – and who is anyone to say this man needs to change anyway? Tiger can ‘become’ a christian and then never change his behavior. I say his behavior/woundedness reveals his need for healing/wholeness which is a by-product of salvation. I wanted to hear Brit’s words be more relevant in this manner – it his words are not (our ours) then they are dead.

I think my point is that simply saying that Tiger needs to ‘become a Christian’ to fully recover’ from (his errors) makes Christianity sound like a magic wand requiring little or no work or sacrifice. Perhaps due to the incarnation and andl the implications surrounding Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, the choices that Tiger has made could … See Moreactually be the path that will lead him to a turning point. It is only when we feel our pain that we are usually motivated to make change because the Holy Spirit, I believe, empathizes with our pain and is thus present when we (too) are truly present in our vulnerability. So I say ‘Go Tiger, feel your pain’ and know that it is our pain that helps us recognize our need for a savior, but NEVER, EVER stop feeling your pain lest you forget (once you realize) your need for a savior. I guess I’m not so sure that Tiger needs to recover as much as he needs to stop and listen and be FOUND. The Gospel reveals that he nor us have never been alright to begin with – A favorite quote – ‘the path to wholeness is made up of fateful detours and wrongturns.’

Semantics aside, I see your point and I agree we don’t have to strive to receive something that is given to us freely. I do think, however, that pulling down strongholds and recognizing unconscious defenses is pretty hard work though. I just think that when the message of the Gospel is used as a ‘finished picture’ it is lacking, especially since many people are interested in life as a journey and not simply a destination. Jesus is alpha and omega, beginning and end, so I’d rather have heard Brit proclaim the truth of the Gospel over tiger than reduce it to a conversion experience – does this make sense? I also think that while He does change us, there is excitement and mystery in knowing that we are co-laborers with him in this process. Brit’s take on this is too ‘Boomer generation’ for me….