by Steve Hale
"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ...Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men" ( Romans 12:9, 17, NKJV).
A premium professional golfer, Kenny Perry is also a Christian. In fact, he's a deacon at the Lord's church in Franklin, Kentucky. Kenny was having a fine tournament at the International at Castle Rock, Colorado.
A driving rain for a number of days caused a new rule to be in place. With saturated fairways, the players were allowed to lift, clean, and place their drives. This was true until the final round, when the officials surmised the fairways were dry enough to play as usual.
Kenny was having a great tournament, and came to the 72nd and final hole. He had cracked a long drive down the middle of the fairway. For some inexplicable reason, probably due to the first three days of routine, he picked his ball up to "lift, clean, and place."
It dawned on him what he had done, and called to his playing partner, Brad Faxon. This violation was a two stroke penalty, and cost brother Kenny about $7000 in prize money. But, what he did was right and powerful, because:
1. Principle was placed before money. In a world of dubious political fundraising, two alleged crooked armored car drivers stealing $18,000,000 then $15,000,000, here is a true Christian placing more value on morals than money. How refreshing!
2. Role models are desperately needed by young people. While we see baseball pitchers throwing at opponents, pro basketball players trash talking up and down the court, and the excessive violence in sports like football and hockey, here is a man simply doing the right thing. It's sad to see this become the exception rather than the norm.
3. God was put before greed. We have become a society that has gold as its god and technology as its spirit. We need more people in the American spotlight that put God first.
I am thankful a man like Kenny Perry comes along and reminds us of the power of honesty. Love without hypocrisy demands it. The next time you're tempted to keep the extra, incorrect change at the grocery store, or cheat when it seems financially advantageous, remember Castle Rock, Colorado. Remember a man who put His God before $7000. Remember the little impressionable eyes watching you. Remember the God who is watching from above.