Grace and Golf - a Tiger by the Tail

Spirituality Column #167
January 19, 2010
Current in Carmel - Current in Westfield - Current in Noblesville
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

Grace and Golf – a Tiger by the Tail
By Bob Walters

Renowned newscaster and analyst Brit Hume suggested on national TV recently that Jesus Christ is a source of comfort that our fellow sinner, the bedraggled golfer Tiger Woods, ought to look into.

Have you seen the ensuing national media outrage?

Or … not? I’m not sure which is the biggest story here:

- Hume describing Christianity succinctly and perfectly – it “offers forgiveness and redemption” – on the “Fox News Sunday” opinion show;

- That Hume’s gentle and accurate description of Buddhism’s difference from Christianity is cast as an affront when really it is a simple, academic truth;

- The ensuing adverse commentary by journalists and entertainers who close-mindedly (and I might add, naively) believe Christianity has no place amid public discourse (most of them feel the same way about Fox News);

- Or, the media’s general non-coverage of Hume’s comments.

It’s worth noting that the news and entertainment media are more than willing to focus on Tiger Woods’ awful fall from grace. Yet when an eminently intelligent voice – Hume – verbalizes a cogent, spiritual, kind, merciful and factual prescription for Woods of the extraordinary and freely available gift of grace from God through Jesus Christ, well, that’s an outrage.

I knew nothing of Hume’s comments Sunday morning Jan. 3 (I was in church) until Monday evening Jan. 4 when Hume was a guest on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News show. I was surprised and elated to hear a replay of Hume’s Sunday comments – witness, really – and was equally intrigued by his follow-up remarks.

“Jesus Christ offers Tiger Woods something that Tiger Woods badly needs,” Hume said. “He needs something Christianity especially provides, redemption and forgiveness.”

Anybody want to argue about who needs redemption and forgiveness?

Surveying the mass media’s largely negative, predictably close-minded and distressingly uninformed response to Hume’s comments, conservative Ann Coulter wrote Jan. 6, “Christianity is the best deal in the universe. … Liberals constantly accuse Christians of being ‘judgmental.’ No, we’re relieved.”

Personally I wish it would have been a bigger controversy so more people would have heard Hume’s words. Liberal or Conservative, sinner or saint, God loves us all. It’s a great message, and an even greater promise. That’s news.

Pray for Tiger. Pray for Brit. Pray for grace. Matthew 9:5. Ephesians 2:8.

Walters (www.believerbob.blogspot.com, email rlwcom@aol.com) suggests visiting AnnCoulter.com, click “archives.” Read Jan. 6 “If You Can Find a Better Deal, Take It!” It’s an accurate and entertaining recap.