Lessons in control and character from Tiger and Phil

You don't have to be a golf fan to appreciate what happened at the Masters on Sunday. You just have to be a fan of the twists and turns of human nature. There in the final round on the storied Augusta National golf course, two titanic golfers were pitted against each other. On one side you had Tiger Woods, the world's number one golfer, working through difficult circumstances created by his own woeful behavior. On the other side you had Phil Michelson, the world's second best golfer, dealing with difficult circumstances outside his control.

Throughout the four-day golf tournament, Tiger thought he was in control, but he wasn’t. He played well for a guy who's been off for four months, but his shots were erratic. And his occasional verbal outbursts belied his stated intentions to be a different kind of golfer. As the afternoon shadows lengthened and he slipped further from contention, Tiger seemed to get smaller and less significant. 

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nine woes...part 6

Woe to those who prefer the spirit of control over the spirit of liberty: will we expend the energy to pursue interior holiness?

(I'd rather not write this one.)

For years I've been thinking about a disturbing and distinct division among followers of Jesus. On the one hand I see many rediscovering the spirituality of the arts, befriending the unclear, finding beauty in the ambiguous, and celebrating difference. 

And on the other hand I see people craving more details, more definition, "how to" downloads...almost as though they were screaming, "God, just tell me what to do and I'll do it! Give me the 10 points and I'll follow to the letter. I don't have to understand, I just need to know what you want from me."

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