Confession: Tiger Woods and Everyone
Any adult person who cannot, at least, identify with Tiger Woods in his ongoing sex saga is abnormal, too old, too forgetful or ‘too lie’ (untruthful). I say this because even if one has never committed adultery—and remember there is physical as well as emotional adultery—one can still identify with the saga of desire for another to whom one does not belong. Another dimension of this issue that is oft forgotten is that some of us who may be tempted to denounce Tiger Woods for his admitted adulterous affairs, if we are honest, have to give thanks that our desire for adultery—call it fleeting desire if that soothes you—did not meet with the opportunities that proved too much for Mr. Woods.
I caught only bits and pieces of the televised confession on Friday, February 19, but the following morning while at the Auto shop I heard a news item on the TV saying that one alleged mistress was a bit peeved that Mr. Woods did not confess in more specific terms to his wife during that televised confession session. That struck me as weird. Though I agree that genuine remorse prompts specificity in confession, such confession is not the business of a prurient gawking, gossip-hungry public (including former lovers) but should be reserved for those only who matter most, God, spouse and one’s therapist.
There was one statement though by Mr. Woods that caught my ears in the clip I picked up that Saturday morning and I hope I wrote it down accurately, he said words to the effect that having worked hard he thought he “was entitled to enjoy all the temptations around [him].” This reflects an unfortunate admixture of innocence and ignorance. Innocence in that temptations are by nature designed to mess you up and ignorance in that Mr. Woods apparently forgot his own vulnerability.
For your reflection I offer a comment by Christian Philosopher Dallas Willard that troubled me for years but eventually radicalized my approach to sin. “The thought of sin is not sin and is not even temptation. Temptation is the thought plus the inclination to sin – possibly manifested by lingering over the thought or seeking it out. But sin itself is when we inwardly say ‘yes’ to temptation, when we would do the deed, even though we do not actually do it.” (Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ, 2002, page 33, my emphasis).
In other words if desire inclines the will, though opportunity is lacking, confession is due to God.
From my own struggles in life I remind myself ever so often that confession involves and implies at least three things.
1. Acknowledging Actual Sin as Sin
2. Acknowledging a Personal Weakness for Certain Sins
3. A Determination to Repent (Change)
Those who claim they have nothing to confess, even to God, concerning sexual temptation or sin should consider confessing the sin of lying.
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5 Responses
“Those who claim they have nothing to confess, even to God, concerning sexual temptation or sin should consider confessing the sin of lying.”, that made me chuckle, because it’s so true. Sometimes we act “holier than thou” when we (Christians and others) see other peoples secret sins come to light, as if we do not get caught in the same web at times. Unfortunately many of us think we are “Good” but the Bible declares otherwise. Thanks for the post – very good.
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Dnash, your sentiments are appreciated. Unfortunately, we as Christians are at times so accustomed to the extremes of condemnation and compromise that we forget the middle road of compassion.
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Thanks for pointing me to this article. I salute the truth of the article and wonder how we can move to compassion without people feel we are compromising. The long history of the church of condemnation/compromise has done serious damage and have not allowed sinners to be delievered from serious struggles.
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Clinton Chisholm Reply:
April 19th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Carlton, it will be difficult but possible. If Church leaders teach and model vulnerability and transparency then members begin to realize that the Church is made up of
broken people struggling to find progressive wholeness and stability. Testimony services too should allow for reports of victory but also for reports of struggles and even of defeats. Such a climate will prompt a growing move to covenanting in deep prayer for the real people in our midst who have spiritual needs.
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william Reply:
May 12th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I think the lack of transparency among leaders is because to day we actually teach the leaven of the pharisee. I believe until we move away from the leader construct we have today and recognize that Christ is the head of every man, which makes us all the same. We will not have transparency in the thing that we have called “the church”.
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