Two things have caught my attention in the past several days. One, the bizarre story of Tiger Woods and his meeting with the fire hydrant and tree. And two, the news that went out on Thanksgiving that Matt Chandler, pastor of the Village Church, had a seizure and was found to have a small mass on the frontal lobe of his brain which will require surgery this coming Friday. These two stories, on seemingly opposite ends of the spectrum, I can’t help but compare and contrast as I go throughout my day(s).
In Tiger Woods we are reminded yet again that excellence does not mean perfection. He may be the greatest golfer to ever walk the earth, but he’s not a perfect man, nor a perfect husband. We hold these types of men on pedestals that are so high they can’t help but fall. We put our kids in golf camps at the age of three in the hopes that they become the next Tiger. We cheer for his wins and we groan in his defeats. But what he showed us in the early hours of the morning is that he is fallible, that he has issues, that he, just like you and me, is normal. I’m not too concerned about the details of his marriage. I’m not even concerned about what actually happened the other morning. I am concerned that the media, and by default you and I, put so much stock in his life. Why do we care so much? Why is this a story? Because we’ve made much of a man…a normal man.
In Matt Chandler we are reminded that life can change in the blink of an eye. We are reminded, that in all reality, we aren’t guaranteed our tomorrow. In fact, it’s not even ours. I’ve read with great interest Matt’s Twitter updates, Lauren’s (his wife) updates, and the updates given on Facebook by the elders of the Village. What I read in their words is what I’ve heard in Matt’s sermons time and time again. I am of the opinion that Matt is one of the best speakers in America today. He brings passion, and conviction, and compassion, and best of all, the Word of God. If you listen to Matt long enough you’ll come to understand that He places the glory of God above all things. He places it above the church he pastors, the children he has, Lauren, and even his own life. He knows for certain that when Paul says in Romans that God works all things together for our good that the all means even the bad things. Matt knows that this mass in his frontal lobe is there so that he can bring glory to God. Why do we care so much? Why is this a story? Because Matt has made much of God…a great God.
I’m not sure what will happen in the lives of these two men in the coming days. The Tiger story will grow faint and may, someday, be a tiny little asterisk on a fabulous career. The next chapter in the Chandler story will be his upcoming surgery this Friday. I know which story has me on the edge of my seat. It’s not the one that makes much of man, but the one that makes much of God.