ReformationUnderway

You may know that I am a fan of golf. I enjoy playing, though I actually do so only about 4-6 times each year, but I also enjoy watching and reading about the game. I am by no means the world’s biggest Tiger Woods fan, but if you’re a fan of the game, you can’t help having some measure of interest in him both as a player and a person, as he exhibits skill in the game that just hasn’t been seen before. I don’t scour the news looking for stories on Tiger, so this may be old news, but an article I read today was the first time I had ever seen it mentioned.

Tiger seemingly guards details of his private life with meticulous care. In fact, one of the more prominent theories as to why he split with his former coach, Butch Harmon, about four years ago was that he had grown weary of Harmon’s penchant for acting as an unofficial spokesman for Tiger in the media. One part of his life I had never seen addressed was his faith. Well, it would appear that the root of his faith is Buddhism, which he learned from his Thai mother. It is not the focus of the interview, but one of the things he talked about in this article.

I would not be surprised if the result of this disclosure were a renewed commitment to privacy, as I suspect Tiger is going to be hearing a lot from the Christians in his life in the months to come.

Tim Challies recently published an interview with one of my fellow church members, Ben Zobrist. Ben is an infielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. Shortstop is his natural position, but he’s also played both second and third base for the Rays. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Ben in a men’s study that began during this past offseason, and he is the genuine article - just a regular young man striving to succeed in his chosen career while conducting himself in a way that honors Christ. Pray for Ben, and his wife Julianna, when you think of him - an MLB clubhouse is not an easy place to walk with integrity as a Christian.

I’m rooting, and praying, for Ben as opening day approaches.

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Ben Zobrist, Tim Challies, Tampa Bay Rays