Living Life Faithfully

As I watched the Masters Golf tournament over the weekend, a drama unfolded that struck me in a very powerful way. Two figures fought in the foreground for two very different reasons. Phil Mickelson fighting for his wife as he battled toward a third win at the Masters and Tiger Woods battling the demons raging within for the battle for wholeness in his life. Although Phil and Tiger were not neck and neck in the standings of the golf tournament, they were neck in neck in a fight for their lives.

I saw the pink ribbon embroidered on Phil's cap as he diligently played through tough tee shots, making one great recovery shot after another. It was almost like his golf swings were mirroring his life, set back by cancer in his wife's body only to fight back in an effort to defeat it. Tiger in his usual "uniform" for the fourth round, the ever familiar red nike golf shirt and black slacks identifying himself unmistakenly to the crowd. In every swing there was frustration. Glimpses of greatness shined through like the second shot holed on the green on the 7th hole showing that there was a possibility of reaching the leader only to be frustrated by bad tee shots on the back 9. More than fighting the golf course, it was clear that Tiger was fighting a demon inside him, something that he has not exorcised yet.

How different life can be for two people playing the same sport and in may ways sharing the same ambitions. If I had a choice of which life to be living, I think I would pick Phil's. Its not an easy choice because the uncertainty of an illness like cancer and the battle it forces in terms of the human will to live long makes it a very challenging and tiring journey. But I think I would prefer it to the hell that Tiger is living in right now. Of his own doing he has torn his life apart leaving a very broken heart and frail human shell. Yes he looks healthy on the outside but it is clear that much is caustic on the inside. I think its always better to tackle the hell that comes from the outside with a health that exists on the inside than tackle a hell created by oneself on the inside reaching for wholeness on the outside.

"It's not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles him but what comes out.." Never truer words were spoken. When you look at these two men and the battle they waged on the golf course this past week you see two very different perspectives that result in two very different endings. Faithfulness proves to lead to enduring life's greatest blows evidently showing that one can come through it much stronger and with a healthy perspective on life. Unfaithfulness leads to creating such internal turmoil that results in adversity not only in relationships but within oneself. Tiger has a much tougher road ahead. I think it wise that he will take more time off. It's clear that he was not ready to return to the pressure of playing at the professional level when his own life has plunged him into personal turmoil. Phil, on the other hand, has experienced how enduring the hardships in life but staying true to oneself and one's family produces joy in the middle of suffering. Phil showed that wounded people who are faithful can endure anything that comes their way. Tiger showed us that we have the power to plunge our lives into ruin and so be left with a huge mountain to climb back up - a mountain that rivals the heights of Everest.

It was a very important golf game this weekend. And if one saw the drama that went much deeper than tee shots, chips and putting, one would see a battle for life that demonstrates how choices in life can make or break the best, brightest and most talented people. The lesson in all of it that I see is that faithfulness ultimately wins out in the end. I pray that Tiger would make his way to a faithfulness in heart and relationships that has been so vivid in his faithfulness to his talent.