When you hear the name “Tiger Woods,” what comes to mind? Images of clutch putts and fist pumps? Thoughts of purchasing a Buick? Or do you envision a spoiled brat cursing noisy fans for interrupting his focus? Whatever your thoughts used to be, they’ve likely changed since his plunge from grace this year.
Tiger cheated on his wife, multiple times. His exposure began with a single-car accident on his own property. The incident made headlines and the para-marital revelations began pouring forth. After the initial dust had settled, Tiger’s wife had moved to Europe and Tiger had committed himself to inpatient therapy for sex addiction. Partway through his program, Tiger stepped up and delivered nearly fourteen minutes of personally agonizing apology.
With humility and candor Tiger set out to elucidate his remorse for all to see. It was the best apology I have seen from a public figure. Yet some received each word the way starving sharks receive a bucket of chum. The fury of analyses began before Tiger could descend from the dais. It wasn’t pretty.
Some declared Tiger’s apology insincere, unequivocally proven by the precision of the apology’s delivery. If truly sorrowful, it was said, his elocution would contain “ers” and “uhs”; Tiger offered not a one. One commentator cynically considered his apology mere drama, deftly orchestrated to court his former sponsors.
The truth is, only Tiger and God know if he was truly sincere. The general public is neither able nor righteous enough to judge the veracity of his regret. Instead, we should focus on our responsibility as the receiver of an apology.
Because we lack omniscience, an attribute owned by God alone, we are unable to decipher a person’s sincerity. When faced with a repentant person, then, we have two choices: Either offer our forgiveness, or else claim omniscience and demand something greater than God himself requires.
For those of us who lack God’s ability to search the heart, forgiveness should reside comfortably on our tongues and eagerly await an opportunity to sooth words of repentance. To offer less is to damage relationships and prove we also need forgiveness.