When “Saturday Night Live” does a Parody of your misdeeds, you know you’re newsworthy. Unfortunately for Tiger Woods, it’s no laughing matter, and it shouldn’t be a laughing matter to any leader who pays attention to the missteps of those in the public eye.
Tiger Wood’s fall from grace carries with it a poignant message to all of us who are leaders. Mr. Woods may be the best golfer who has lived, and he has definitely done a lot for the sport in the way of racial reconciliation, but all this means squat in the face of the news last week that his family life isn’t what everyone thought it was.
I have heard many people (especially in the talk radio industry) asking why Tiger’s indiscretions should matter in the face of his talents. This is a good question, and one that needs to be asked by all leaders. We have seen what happens to Christian leaders when they make mistakes: generally speaking, they lose their ministries. Now, I’m not comparing the work of ministry leaders and Tiger Woods, but what I am saying is that the same principal that has the nation giving a collective sigh of betrayal over Tiger is the one that will sink any leader that betrays the trust of their followers.
Mr. Woods may have never claimed to be a paragon of virtue, but people have invested in him emotionally. They don’t just see him as a golfer. Golfing is just what brought him into the limelight. Now, he’s a role model, a guy you see on the television selling you goods. He’s become a household name, and a certain amount of trust and emotional investment go into that. Unfortunately, it’s that very trust that people feel has now been violated. Even though they didn’t know Tiger Woods apart from his public persona, the masses thought they did. Thus his fall has been great.
If Tiger Woods, who plays golf and appears in a few commercials, takes this kind of fall when he screws up; how much greater will the fall of a Christian leader be? People don’t just emotionally invest in us, they invest their lives and the lives of their families. We are with them in their greatest moments of joy, and in their moments of greatest sorrow. We share life with them. Further, as leaders we guide them, give them advice, and do so in the name of God.
If a fan of Tiger Woods involves themselves emotionally, those who follow us intertwine their lives with us. To these people, a moral failing like Mr. Woods’ isn’t just a news headline, it’s a horrible violation of trust and family that tears them apart.
Now, obviously we fail and fail badly, but I think the difference between Mr. Woods and us is what we do with that sin. He obviously tried to hide it. And it came out in the worst way. This says something about the merits of transparency, but that is another post for another day.
In the meantime, let’s remember that those people we serve wrap their lives up in ours, and it is our God-given responsibility to shepherd them well. We owe them more than to play with their trust or hide our failings from them; and if we do, we shouldn’t be surprised when we end up the butt of a joke on “Saturday Night Live,” or worse.
In the Trenches,
Matt
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