What’s a golf ball to do with Easter? (Ok this post has been in limbo for a while)
Some time ago, a group of us (3-ball) had the first tee time of the morning but there was a duo who had rushed to the tee box ahead of us and wanted to start ahead. The starter (self-explanatory) told them we should go off first as we had booked the time ahead. One of the duo remarked loudly that a 2-ball should always be allowed to get in front of a larger group. (Erm, that’s not how it works - and this is why etiquette is such a big part of the game)
Some context is useful. These 2 gentlemen are part of a group known to be really slow, and the starter knew this as there have been many complaints about them. We have been stuck behind them before. Normally we would in fact give way to a 2-ball, as they should be faster, though sometimes we end up regretting it 😂. But the starter knew it would be a problem and made sure we got off first, bless him. (And today we made him proud by finishing our round in 2 hrs 40 minutes and he came over as we were finishing and said he couldn’t believe it!)
And so my friend Devin did the next best thing and offered to give way if they caught up with us. They didn’t.
Midway through the round though, I saw a ball as I walked past and took a picture of it and left it there. One of the duo asked me quite loudly and aggressively as we passed each other, “Did you pick up a ball?” I said “No” and carried on walking.
The sequence of events really rankled and I was quite upset, even after some time had passed. Initially I understood why I was upset - no one likes to be bullied, nor be wrongly accused of picking up a ball.
Injustice has been a recent theme - there’s that incident with the Traffic Police where they waived the alleged offence but the handling of it left a bad taste in the mouth. And how often do we feel some personal slight because things didn’t go our way or that we did not get what we felt we deserved?
Slowly I came to the realisation that I was more upset with myself for allowing it to fester in my heart. And for wanting to make some unpleasant remarks to that chap who asked me if I picked up his ball, or thinking maybe I should have picked up his ball. This is not who I want to be.
That Traffic Police matter also festered for a while as I wondered if I should write in to tell the officer how his concluding remarks had in fact, opened up another can of worms (more on this below). I still have not written again, and probably won't though I have not ruled out using it as material for talking about how public servants should act if I have an opportunity to speak on the topic in future. And so this post was languishing as a draft for a while because it didn't seem like a big deal (except in my head) until I listened to a Timothy Keller podcase recently on this very topic of injustice. (The podcast was really about why people get mad at God because of injustice but it provided some clarity for me on this post).
Two key points hit home. In the first, Keller mentioned a quote by RC Sproul from his book The Holiness of God - “Don't ever ask God for justice-you might get it.” This really reminded me of God's grace. He has chosen to bless me despite my many failings, and I should learn to forgive and love others as He does. Maybe that other golfer was not accusing me - maybe he was still upset by the earlier encounter and his tone and manner of questioning reflected that. I have been unkind too when upset. And maybe the Traffic Police officer is just responding because circumstances have led him to such a stand - most of the people he deals with are guilty of the offences they are accused of, and he is used to people making excuses or giving alibis that do not stand up to scrutiny. (Also, I have probably unknowingly picked up someone's ball that was in play, and I have definitely committed traffic offences for which I have gone unpunished.)
Again from RC Sproul:
"One of our basic problems is the confusion of injustice and mercy. We live in a world where injustices happen. They happen among people. Every one of us at some time has been a victim of injustice at the hands of another person. Every one of us at some time has committed an injustice against another person. People treat each other unfairly. One thing is certain: No matter how much injustice I have suffered from the hands of other people, I have never suffered the slightest injustice from the hand of God."
This is a great reflection. We suffer injustice not because of God. And it is a reminder that following Christ does not guarantee our lives will be all smooth sailing. Far from it. (Rather, following Christ should make us more acutely aware that this is to be expected) Injustice and self-righteousness can be dangerous bedfellows. We feel we deserve more because we are Christians, because we are good Christians, because we are better people than this other person I have had to deal with. We forget His grace and mercy to us. We forget that He has his plan, His own timing and it is not for us to question what it is simply because it does not align with our expectations or timeline.
The second point in the sermon was about how we should deal with injustice. If asking for God to intervene is not the way to deal with injustice, then what is? Or do we just take it in silence and tell ourselves to leave it to God? But God has also given us a voice. How do we use it in a manner that brings glory to Him?
That gave me an insight into a possible closure to the Traffic Police incident. I no longer had a case to answer for personally since the case has been closed by them. And I could just shrug off the correspondence that had rankled as something that was no longer my problem. I had nothing to gain personally from writing in but did I have a duty to address this 'injustice' or more accurately, this potential injustice that would be inflicted on others who faced a similar situation?
I had dealt with the Traffic issue firstly as a personal issue because it was something that affected me. And to do so respectfully (which I think I managed to do). And that is the first lesson for me - I should pray for God to guide me in how to handle this type of issue (rather than for God to intervene) in a good way.
Secondly, now that the personal angle has been resolved, why did I still feel so strongly about it? I guess it came from my history as a police officer, that I had cared about serving the public - both offenders and victims. And the manner in which they had handled the case made me feel that I had to do something so that it did not happen to others. I think if that is the motivation, we can rest assured in the knowledge that we will act in the right way, and people dealing with us will see the same.
This I think, is the key issue in most matters that affect us. If we act as we did before we knew Christ, we are unlikely to be acting in a way that glorifies Him. If for instance, we get angry because something did not meet our expectations - it is unlikely to end well. Not that anger is wrong - after all God gets angry too. But I think it is different when you are upset with the situation rather than with the person. Our words would be different. Our attitude would be different.
I once saw a friend complain to a waiter about food he was served, and while he was justified in complaining, I thought it was a bit harsh on the waiter. The waiter did not cook the meal, and it was clear that the manager did not want to get involved and kept sending the poor chap to answer for the complaint. The waiter was quite apologetic and extremely polite (almost to a fault) and I felt sorry for him. Maybe I should have said something.
Anyways, the point I am trying to make is that there is nothing wrong in standing up for your right to good service (or in this country, competent service haha). However there is a good way and a not so pleasant way to do it.
Maybe one way to think about it is this. Is the right to a good meal more important than being a good testimony for Christ? This isn't really about injustice but the root issue is the same. It is when we feel we deserve better and others don't live up to it. It is something I can also get better at.
