Sean, Tiger and atonement

The ideas of sin and guilt before God are rapidly becoming alien concepts to contemporary Western society. Most Americans or Europeans don't go around worrying about forgiveness of sin like we did in centuries past. Yet that pesky law written on our hearts continues to rear its head now and again. Freud notwithstanding, notions of guilt and the need for forgiveness from someone persist.

Recently I watched an interview with Sean Penn about his humanitarian work in Haiti. Whatever you think of Penn's politics you have to admire his commitment. He spent several weeks in Haiti immediately after the earthquake and as of this writing is back for a second tour. You might also recall Penn helping to rescue Katrina flood victims in the aftermath of that disaster. Clearly he's a celebrity whose commitment to helping people in need goes beyond merely appearing on a telethon or writing a check. The interviewer asked Penn about his motivation for doing what he does. The answer was revealing, and I think honest. "Paying for sins or something."

Yesterday Tiger Woods broke his silence. I didn't watch the TV coverage, but I did read the transcript of his statement. It's hard not to be cynical about these public celebrity mea culpa's, but there's much to admire in what Woods said yesterday. For one thing, he acknowledged that the sincerity of his apology will be measured by his actions in the years ahead. He frankly acknowledged the betrayal of his wife and children. He also placed the blame squarely on himself and defended his wife from tabloid rumor and innuendo. He was blunt in describing his behavior, using words like "selfish" and "foolish". He spoke of the corrupting influence of money and fame. He admitted bringing "shame" on himself and his family. "I have a lot to atone for" he said.

How does Tiger plan to atone for his moral failures? He talked about getting back to his "core values" and living a "life of integrity" -- the need to become a "better person" and a "better man." All good things. For the sake of his family and many fans I hope he achieves those goals. Woods also pointed to a return to Buddhism as a source of inspiration. "People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint." Christianity both agrees and disagrees with that critique of the human condition. You probably know where I'm going with this.

Christianity teaches that searching for satisfaction and security in anything else, or anyone else, than God Triune is ultimately unsatisfying. Buddhism offers "salvation" through the negation of desire, Christianity offers hope that our desires, and our actual physical bodies, can be redeemed. Buddhism offers a quest for self-atonement, Christianity offers atonement in the cross of Jesus Christ. Buddhism teaches moral transformation through a life of asceticism, Christianity through life in the Spirit. Tiger Woods and Sean Penn will find that paying for their sins themselves, whether in a life of good deeds or a life of self-denial, is a heavy burden to carry. The Apostle Paul, who had much to atone for, called that path slavery. May the brilliant golfer and the brilliant actor find the path of freedom that begins at the cross.