Red Shirts

It was just a red shirt. Actually, there were many red shirts, but to see them being worn by famous golfers did more to lift my spirits than I can adequately express. I can’t imagine what they must have meant to the one for whom they were being worn.

For those of you unfamiliar with the golf world, there’s this guy named Tiger Woods and he’s one of the greatest golfers of all time. On Sundays, which is the final round of all tournaments, Tiger always wore a red shirt. In support of Tiger, who was in a terrible car accident last week, many golfers wore red shirts on Sunday. It was a simple gesture of support from fellow competitors, but it spoke volumes to the golf world and anyone else with ears to hear.

For many years now, we have been inundated with the many things that divide us. The effects have been deep and far-reaching. Whether it’s because of our skin color, religious views, sexual orientation, political leanings, or opinions on any issue you can think of, it seems there’s more than enough pluribus to go around, but no unum. 

That changed, if only for a moment, Sunday afternoon. Looking at the golfers in red shirts made me feel as if the flow of the stream had finally changed. It may or may not last, but it was a bit of light during a season that’s seemed particularly dark. 

Perhaps we should all go out and buy a red shirt. Better yet, maybe we should spend the season of Lent renewing our love for one another, looking for what unites us rather than divides us. Who knows, we might even begin to see that we’re all beloved children of God. Everyone. No exceptions.

That would be a welcomed change.