Winning Words 12/4/09
“A man does not have to be an angel in order to be a saint.” (Schweitzer) If the beloved and respected Albert said it, it must be true. Before applying it to “the Tiger situation,” or to other people, go over in your mind: What is a saint? What is an angel? Google might help, but Google doesn’t have all the answers. I’d like to hear what you think and how you feel. ;-) Jack

FROM SG IN MICHIGAN: Boy, you're up early. I never noticed what time you send these until today -- when I'm up early, too. Go back to bed! FROM JACK: Do you remember the saying, "Early to bed, early to rise etc?"

FROM PRJS IN MICHIGAN: An angel is a messenger of God....one of the Elohim. A saint is one who has been sanctified by the blood of Christ. Of course, a saint is not an angel....we are made "a little less than the angels"....but crowned with honor and glory. I think the Littlest Angel is the one I want to be most like. FROM JACK: Thank you, professor! Now, go back to dancing on the head of a pin.

FROM LK IN OHIO: Tiger excels at golf. In what else? Perhaps lots? FROM JACK: There's more to most of us than meets the eye. MORE FROM LK: God's eye is what matters. Neither Tiger, nor I, nor anyone, can seek
privacy from God. FROM JACK: God is omniscient!

FROM BP IN FLORIDA: I think it is absurd to apply either one to Tiger. The adoration has always been misplaced because of his foul mouth and temperment. If a man hits a thousand home runs but lacks character what does he really have................ The sad thing is we have such a void of heros today, whether in sports or politics. What does the Bible say about it being easier to pass through the eye of a needle etc. I missed Bible study this week so I'll have to study up. I think there are a number of heros in there. Yes I know, also a number of flawed people. Thank goodness I am perfect which of course YOU can attest to. FROM JACK: Let's see....If we take all the foul-mouthed and tempermental players off the golf courses, there'd be no need to holler, FORE! BTW, I remember once seeing a church, called, St. Robert's.

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: Thinking of angels, I remember the one in the Bible who, I think it was Jacob, struggled with and got his hip out of joint or something. Thinking of angels, don't think of inner struggle. Thinking of saints, do think of inner struggle. All those martyr saints were humans too so it must have been a struggle to forgive as they were being tortured to death. I believe Tiger might be going through an inner struggle, maybe for quite a while before it stuck out, it must be really tough to have to go through it in the public eye. Of course though all of us with our inner struggles eventually seem to be public about them--that's the help we get, nothing is hidden from God. Least that's what seems to me--so far.

FROM RG IN ARIZONA: This was today's devotional, and one that might apply to the more significant issue of our "hero" regardless of our status as angel or saint. As we remove another man-made god from the Parthenon [Tiger Woods] let us remember how silly we have been to place him there in the fist place. How easy it is to project credibility for quality of another sort [impervious strength of character] from the apparent skill of a
relatively insignificant one [golf]. How many more times will we make this error? Talk about "false gods" and golden calves! The only place infidelity, sloth, deceit, thievery, and the like seem to be acceptable is within our government! You'd think the people would expect more from them than Tiger woods and sports figures. "Wake up" was and still remains the post profound cry of the prophets! We should pay attention to it!!!!!!!!!!
Luke 1:68-79 (NRSV) FROM JACK: I threw Tiger into my response as a distraction. The quote was about angels and saints. Are they one and the same?

FROM MOLINER CF: Why all the concern over Tiger Woods? The guy's a cheater. Let's have some compassion for his wife and kids. They are the real victims of his infidelity. FROM JACK: Read the WWs again. The discussion was to center around your view of what is a saint and what is an angel. Tiger was purposely put it there to see if people would be distracted from the basic question. It's not about Tiger or his family, it's about whether you can be a saint without be an angel. MORE FROM CF: In other words, the Tiger Woods thing was irrelevant. So why bring it up? FROM JACK: ...just to bug you!

FROM MF IN MICHIGAN: I refer to many people as Saints, mostly for the way they care for people. I believe an angel is mostly unseen and is there for us even when we may not realize it. I believe that we are touched by both thru out our lives. Tiger? he's just a very good golfer, famous and wealthy for his ability to play the game. FROM JACK: Congratulations! You got the point. WWs today wasn't about Tiger.

FROM JO IN MICHIGAN: That's true because there is some good in all of us. FROM JACK: There is so much good in the worst of us, And so much bad in the best of us, That it hardly behooves any of us To talk about the rest of us. Edward Wallis Hoch

FROM MOLINER TG: Schweitzer is truly correct in my opinion (He usually is) Tiger is nothing but a liar and a cheat. Too often men with fame and power don’t think a moral \code applies to them or that they are entitled to a little transgression for all the good things they do. An earthly angel tries to do everything “right” in hope of becoming a saint. An earthly saint is one who lives that way instinctively, but sometimes there are moral dilemmas where a choice must be made. The more fame/fortune/power a person has the more this confronts them. Tiger has traveled a conflicting road. My two cents! FROM JACK: For your two cents, you got the point with some good comments.

FROM GUSTIE MN: You don’t really want to hear what I think! He is an athlete and I guess a skirt chaser! He did not take his marriage vows seriously. There is WAY too much of that in our society. It is just another sign that we can not make heroes out of mere mortal men. Our hero that is always there for us is God and his Son Jesus! There—I spoke my piece! FROM JACK: But what do you think about saints and angels? MORE FROM MN: Saints and angels live among us. They guide us on the right path.

FROM SEVANDER IN MINNESOTA: Saints are forgiven sinners who permit God's light to shine through them. FROM JACK: And you didn't mention Tiger, either. You got the message.

FROM SG IN TAMPA: When I think of an angel, my guardian angel comes to mind. Saints can be living and are living among us. FROM JACK: Is your guardian angel human? MORE FROM JACK: My father-in-law used to go to the local hospital in Wisconsin on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day to walk through the halls and greet patients, whether he knew them or not. What a saintly thing to do!

FROM RI IN BOSTON: Dr. Schweitzer is one of my heroes. He brought medicine to the primitive, and music too, hauling an organ to his settlement. Quite a contrast to the jungle drums. He ranks as a saint, according to definition, something many of us could achieve. But we must wait for help from a Higher Power to become an angel. Schweitzer's perception was correct. FROM JACK: And yet there were those who criticized Albert for various reasons. Of course, Jesus was criticized, too MORE FROM RI: Wow, your WW really got some strong reactions today, and a long list of respondees. I was actually late getting to you, and wrote before reading all the comments from your other participants, and from you. In my own response, including Tiger in the conversation never crossed my mind. Your quote about "the good in the worst of us, and the bad in the best of us" was new to me and seems a keen observation.

FROM INDY GENIE: wow....I just had a chance to read the angel/saint blog.....really funny...I laughed out loud at your responses. As for saints and angels......I agree with Schweitzer, although I believe it's true for women too!

FROM CS IN MICHIGAN: I like a quote you once had in the bulletin: " Saints are sinners who just keep trying" And my close friend, Ann is now an angel. She died of her frontal lobe dementia, a cruel disease.