Lent

The Masters & Holy Week

A golfer and a disciple:  Tiger and Peter

Many are lauding Tiger Woods’ winning the Masters and calling it the greatest sports comeback stories of all-time. Our age clearly likes to gloat about the things we know about.  (By the way – without taking anything away from Tiger, I’m nominating for that honor Serena Williams’ winning her first official match after giving birth.)

Since it’s Holy Week I thought of the disciple Peter as another comeback story.  Didn’t he become one of the great preachers and pastors of the early Church?  And didn’t this happen within 2 months of Peter denying Jesus three times at the time of the crucifixion.   That’s a pretty amazing comeback to me.

These two “comebacks” are very different, and they stirred up in me a question for which I don’t have an adequate answer.  In our age we have a heightened awareness that harassing and abusive behavior – especially of men toward women – has no place in our society, and is not to be tolerated.  Thank God, let us be vigilant.   If there any way to press for change, transformation, or redemption for some of those who have engaged in unacceptable behavior?  Are there different degrees?  I don’t know the answers, but I am glad that Tiger and Peter got second chances.

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