jody fransch

Last week Tiger Woods apologized to his close friends, family, and various business associates. I watched the event live and was amazed at how candid he was. He did not sugar-coat his sin but rather highlighted the magnitude of it all and the scope of it’s impact.

You can read Tiger Woods’ entire statement here. Although parts of it seemed scripted I must admit that I was genuinely moved by his confession. It’s very rare for celebrities to accept responsibility for their sins, understand the full scope of the damage they have caused, and express such remorse for their actions. For this, I give Woods credit.

He’s also received a lot of criticism and taken some flack from the media saying that he just did it as a PR stunt to salvage some of his sponsorships and deals.

So how do I respond to all this. Well, I am a Christian and I totally concur with what Michael Hyatt writes in response to this. I even find it profound. He says that:

Based on this, whenever someone confesses their sin as Tiger did, I have at least five responsibilities:

1. Resist the temptation to judge. It is not my place to judge Tiger or anyone else. I don’t have to account for his sin. That’s his responsibility to bear alone. I have plenty to account for myself, thank you very much. Instead, I should feel compassion. As the old saying goes, “But for the grace of God go I.”
2. Accept the apology at face value. It is not my job to determine if Tiger is sincere. (How would I do that, anyway?) As Tiger himself said, “My real apology to her [i.e., Elin, his wife] will not come in the form of words. It will come from my behavior over time.” Is he done repenting? No. He is just getting started. But he has begun well. And for that, I should be grateful and affirming.
3. Believe in the possibility of change. Cynicism is easy. It costs me nothing. Belief, on the other hand, requires risk. He may be lying. He may fall again. He might betray us all. But if people really cannot change, then what hope is there for any of us? One of my core beliefs is that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). No one is beyond the reach of God’s redemption.
4. Extend mercy and grace. Justice demands that we pronounce him guilty, dismiss him from further consideration, and move on. But Mercy requires that we refuse to condemn him. Even more astonishing, Grace insists that we extend to him what he does not deserve: hope, patience, and love. Though he doesn’t deserve this, he needs all of it. Without mercy and grace we are all lost.
5. Pray for transformation. Tiger seems to understand—as all self-acknowledged sinners must—that he cannot overcome his sin alone. He needs help. His journey has just begun. The road ahead is long and difficult. He will need human assistance, to be sure. But more importantly, he will need God’s help. This is where I can play a role by refusing to cave to cynicism and judgement. Instead, every time I am tempted to go there, I can pray that God would transform him into the man he could be.

So, after all that we need to realize that Tiger is just like one of us…he’s human. Yes, his situation is more severe and more public because of his celebrity status, but at the end of the day, sin is sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). If there is hope for me—or for you—then there is hope for Tiger.

Question: How did you respond to Tiger’s apology?

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