If Tiger Woods’ personal tragedy can be at all redemptive—and all tragedies potentially can—one way is to call attention to the crucial need for spiritual ministry to athletes.
A recent ESPN panel discussion about Woods’ troubles identified a common temptation lurking outside many locker rooms. While not condoning his behavior, the panel noted that male athletes at all levels are routinely pursued by women ready to “throw themselves at them.” For those who view sex as merely a physical and recreational activity, anyone in top physical shape (and especially one with notoriety) becomes a prized trophy. For many athletes the temptation is irresistible, and real life consequences are not anticipated when it seems like only a game.
Yet what ultimately drives anyone seeking these kinds of encounters is not so much physical desire, but an underlying spiritual emptiness desperately seeking gratification at the physical level. Sexual union is ultimately a sign and experience of union with God. Its mutated variations are simply misdirected searches for what ultimately satisfies the human spirit. No less a sexual adventurer than St. Augustine eventually learned that the heart remains restless until it rests in God; all other means of seeking fulfillment—even if temporarily satisfying—cannot fill that emptiness.
Athletics hold enormous influence in our culture. While in their pure form they benefit humanity in many ways, they do have some latent hedonistic dangers. Any activity that is intensely physical and competitive runs the risk of glorifying both the body and the individual self far beyond their relative importance.
The good news is that sports are far more than a physical activity—they are intensely spiritual as well. (Ask any golfer what is more satisfying about a beautiful tee shot—the physical sensation of swinging the club or the exhilaration of watching their shot sail straight down the fairway. Or ask a football player what makes the intense physical pain of Monday morning worthwhile.) So when the spirit of an athlete is fed, the union of body and spirit (which is the essence of humanity) is magnified, and can be placed at the service of society.
Physical training is readily provided to athletes by coaches and trainers. Spiritual conditioning is just as important—if not more so—but may not be as available. If athletes are to become whole persons, not just hard bodies, the spirit must be nourished at the same time. Just as their physical accomplishments make an impression on others outside the locker room, so can their spiritual beauty if given a chance to grow.
At the sight of the crowds, [Jesus’] heart was moved with pity for them because they troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9:36-38)
It is in this spirit, and as part of this mission, that I launch this blog. As a proud member of Catholic Athletes for Christ, whose mission is to evangelize the world of sports, it is my prayer not only that Tiger Woods and his family be healed and redeemed through this difficulty, but that the efforts of all who minister to athletes will be renewed, their numbers will grow, and they will respond to the urgency which this situation reveals.
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