Perplexed and pondering

“But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”

(Luke 1:29)

I really like the New Revised Standard Version’s translation of this verse.  The alliteration (perplexed, pondered) is nice, but I also think that these words are evocative.  They capture the feeling of the moment – with Mary need time to deal with the brain churn following the angel’s appearance and unusual greeting (if you can have such a thing as a normal greeting from an angel).

I can readily identify with Mary – in that I’m not very good at thinking on my feet.  I’ve always been a bit slow on the uptake.  I like to stop and think, and ruminate or cogitate, to digest and adjust my thinking.

So I’m finally reacting to the Tiger Woods story.  I remember being intrigued by some of the adverts that Accenture produced (before they dumped him).  I particularly liked those that were in the ‘split percentage’ format.  I admire (present continuous) Tiger’s prowess as a golfer; his dedication to practice and fitness; his ability to remain calm amidst the tumult of the crowd (mostly); his charming way of dealing with fans and media alike.

I do not seek in any way to minimise the magnitude of his errors.  He has acted badly, and he needs to address that.  His performance as a husband and father do not match his performance as a golfer.  But to some degree that applies to all of us – we are found wanting in some area of our lives.  Hopefully not to the same extent, and hopefully our dirty washing isn’t the subject of tabloid headlines.

I hope that during his break from golf, he takes the time to be perplexed and ponder what he should do - that he reflects and ruminates; puzzles and wrestles.  I hope that he is able to find restoration and forgiveness with his family.

As he has been a role model to so many aspiring golfers (young and old alike), maybe he can be a role model in the way that he puts the pieces of his family life back together.  But it will require: 

• 100% effort, 0% compromise; 
• 100% sincerity, 0% denial; 
• 100% integrity, 0% spin.