Tiger Woods

I support Tiger!
(By 'Jacob' Dong-il Shin)

Tiger Woods is, maybe was, a sex addict. While I watched him deliver an apology speech on television, I thought that maybe it was not about sex. Itmust be about core issues, about pain. Tiger's addiction probably has something to do with his father and pain that he never dealt with. His father had multiple affairs.

I don't think Tiger wanted to deal with the emotional pain, anger, unworthiness, or fear of rejection stemming from his childhood memories, because his father has been a big help for Tiger's career. The pain has been just hidden and unstructed. He lived too competitively just hiding his weaken feelings and emotions.

After he has achieved the world level excellence as a golfer, he may have had very complicated and unmanagable amount of competiton pressure, which I think often become more intense in the form of loneliness, fear of failure. It must be leading him to one form of addict.

Good news is that there has been no report that he physically threatened or grew verbally abusive of his wife. Often anger or veral abuse, a part of any addiction, become intense even at home. It gives a slight sign showing that his wife may step up for some help, if asked for on Tiger's addict, and if she cares about his husband's pain. He looks like trying hard to stay away from the addiction now, but I heard individualized recovery program is not enough, and that loving people must participate in the program. Tiger himself cannot make amends. He can start by repeating the mistakes he've done, because it is not like one-time temptation or something. It is the pain deeply rooted from the past. He has a long way to go. Family should stand in the process.

Does he truley come back as a loving and loved husband through the recovery? Can he be much more warm, much more caring at home? People still spread the rumors about him. People often say, "His apology was totally scripted. I don't believe a word of it." Well, it is true it is hard to measure his meaningfulness. Woods may be lying. He may fall again. He may betray his family and us again.

Here I want to think different. Because cynicism is easy for anyone and it doesn't cost us anything, I love to take a risk. I want to extend my mercy and grace on him. Is Tiger's sin really any different from mine? It is more public, though. In the end, however, his sin is my sin. It is a matter of degree. I will not be the judge of Woods who has openly confessed. I don't have to account for his sin, because I have plenty to account for myself.

I want him to come back. He just struggled, like we did, like I did. If there is hope for me, there is hope for Tiger Woods, too. I want hime to come back and tell us bravely that addiction exists but God will help hm find his way home. With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).