Tiger pause

Following the wee-hours car crash outside his Florida home, Tiger Woods has passed through the relentless spotlight of fame in a different sort of way. Another sports icon is humbled in the public arena. The money, celebrity, legendary status now seem to come with the pricetag of "privacy." His pleas to allow the matter to be dealt with privately will go unheeded, of course.

It is impossible for those of us who live "ordinary lives" to relate to the lifestyle, pressure and potential for public disaster that goes with such fame. Politicians, movie and TV stars, rock musicians, sports figures, business tycoons live a life others only dream of. In many cases their ego has been fed 24/7 from the time they were old enough to bounce a ball or strum a guitar or run for class president. Why is it surprising, then, that they often come to think that the rules don't apply to them?

Stardom, whatever else it offers, does not offer immunity from humanity. It is ridiculous, to me, to see the hypocrisy and moral double-standard that gets thrown around in situations like this. It's as if the public has a sense of moral outrage. Come on!

Tiger, it turns out, is human. He, like the rest of us, is, yes, a sinner. We are no better. I am saddened by his lapses in judgment, his disregard for family, and so on. But I believe in grace. I believe in hope. I think there is the possibility of new life going forward for Tiger, and for the rest of us! And the pricetag is not privacy. It isn't money. It's acceptance, acceptance of God's love in Jesus Christ, acceptance of who we can be as God's person.