For years I have had a love of old books. Reading these out of the way books about golf and faith have been a passion of mine. I find in the old books that there is really nothing new under the sun. One book that has really impacted my life is a book titled "The Transforming Friendship" by Leslie Weatherhead. This book was written over 75 years ago. This book presents the thought of imagining Jesus as someone just like us in this present day world ( 1930). This concept was one that captured my mind for I have had a very difficult time in my life envisioning Christ moment by moment(2004).

This was so frustrating at times in my own life because I knew that this was the key element in my walk with God – that one-on-one relationship with Jesus moment by moment – sometimes I would go for a whole day and never communicate in any way about what was going on in my life with Christ. I never seemed to have a clear picture in my mind of what He looked like and how to relate to Him. As best I can recall I remember seeing him in a long white robe with long hair and a beard. The author of this book says that " as we embark on this quest of Christ, we need to get a clear picture of Him in our minds. Not a picture which is of the conventional stained glass window. Not a picture thrown on the screen of our mind by the language of creeds and confessions of faith, not even a picture painted by the gospel writers in a setting 2000 years ago, but rather this glorious figure of Christ in a modern setting."

When I began to contemplate this, a picture came up in my mind. As I closed my eyes I had a vision of standing on the fringe of the putting green at the Disney World Magnolia Golf Course. I looked out across the green searching for Jesus and there He was wearing Foot-Joy shoes, khaki pants, a white golf shirt, and a blue Cubs hat( He always rooted for the underdog). He was leaning on his new two ball putter watching a junior golfer putting 3 footers. Wow, that’s really Him! Clear as day. Then He turned and walked towards me and as He approached, all of a sudden He was already standing beside me. His presence was there before I could even reach out for Him. Then,I had the incredible awareness that He had been there all along. I just had never been able to see Him in that light ,as a real golfer friend of mine. This was not some flippant casual awareness the deep humbling reverence or as I prefer this to sometimes a bowing of the soul. Someone just like you and me. Weatherhead so brilliantly paints this picture of himself sitting in a chair after an exhausting day as a pastor at the church and trying this same experiment. Relaxing and keeping his hearts door ajar and then " the Friend came".

For me this wonderful image has impacted my life for a number of weeks. I find myself in love with this Jesus. Naturally talking to Him as though He were my best friend. The feelings I have towards Him are a compilation of the warm feelings I have experienced when I am with my closest friends on earth. But they are deeper much deeper because of this One who went to the Cross for you and me.

As I read the Scriptures it became very clear to see that Jesus had a best friend also. This was his Father!! How did I miss this? Can’t you just see them together walking down the dusty roads to the holy land. Taking time to get away together and talk as a Father and Son would. Eye to eye and then embracing each other as a father would his son. As I began to imagine this relationship that Jesus had with his Father .There are so many points in Scripture were Jesus talks about his father as well as talking to his father as we read in John 17. There really was a bond of closeness a unity that he desires for us to have with him a personal level just as he had with his father.

I began to think of various situations where Jesus prayed to his Father and began to see the situations as in a much different light. The image that I always have had in my mind of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane of on his knees praying up to God asking for His Father "to remove this cup from me". An artist’s depiction of the scene painted the hundreds of years after the actual happening. In Mark 11:36 the Scripture says that Jesus cried out Abba! Father! Or translated Dad! When I read this I saw a new picture that of a father hugging his son as his son wept on his shoulder. Holding him so tight and giving him the security that everything is OK. Oh how everyone longs for that embrace by their own father. Were created for that-to firstly to be loved by our earthly father, which is an example for us of the love God has for us. Jesus loves us in that same way and loves to put his arms around us and hug us the same way when we are hurting desperately and feel alone scared and forsaken.

Things now appear to be so much clearer as I live. Matthew 6:33 takes on a new meaning—"seeking first the Kingdom of God (along with Jesus my dear friend and Savior) and His righteousness (standing in the right manner as he did with him by my side). Not in His steps but stepping with Him.

The author goes on to say "Imagine Him, then, in modern life. It has been truly said that Jesus could go into any Army mess, into any factory dining – hall, into a any business or professional common – room, into any hotel or boarding – house, into any student’s hostile or college, and his presence would not make men feel uncomfortable .His second visit would be eagerly looked for. Why? Because rarely did condemnation pass those gentle lips (unless men were religious hypocrites or cruel to little children) ; but in His presence men felt their inner ,better selves suddenly revived within them. Jesus lifted up men's hearts. He saw all their dormant possibilities. What is more, He made men see them and what is more still He made men desire with a deep and passionate longing, that those possibilities should actualize and His dreams for them come true; He made men believe that they could come true. His utter sincerity made men see their own sincerity, and instinctively turn from it with loathing and contempt. He made men want to be like Him; and when He talked with them, men felt that likeness to Him had suddenly become possible and that life would never be true or beautiful until they set this goal definitely before them."

I love the statement that the author makes "God’s greatest gift to man was given and accepted. The Friend came" The author is so wonderful in his acceptance of this Friend. Not a distant friend at all but a friend who understands, who understands our worst moments without losing belief in our best. This is the friend that we all can enjoy and I would encourage you to take a moment in a quiet restful place, close your eyes and leave your heart’s door ajar and visualize in your mind who Jesus is to you in modern day form, someone just like you and me. Then seek him to come and he will.

Jesus at Augusta

Just a few days after this experiment I found myself up at the Masters on Thursday afternoon. I drove up to spend the day with my good friend Jim Hiskey and also to watch Arnold Palmer play some of his last two rounds at the Masters.  I had been out on the golf course watching the action and returned back to the clubhouse.  As I was walking around behind the 18th green I saw a small crowd of people surrounding past Masters champion Ben Crenshaw talking to this tall handsome guy in his early thirties. I asked someone what's the crowd about and they said that Jesus was standing over there with Ben.  It was the actor from the Passion who is also playing Bobby Jones in that upcoming movie.

Jim Caviezel was speaking to Ben Crenshaw.  Jim Hiskey and I were standing behind the green with Jim's granddaughter Rachel.  She got a picture the day before of Jesus.  She is going to e-mail it to mail as soon as she gets back to Annapolis. I have it now. Jesus in a Masters shirt!

It didn't really hit me until I was doing a live interview on Sport Spectrum Magazine's national radio talk show that evening. Because I was at the Masters that day they asked me about my experience. I talked mostly about watching Arnold Palmer play his/shots and some other thoughts about the golf courses condition.  The final question about the Masters was something like "did you see anything else unusual?"  I said "yes, I saw Jesus standing behind the 18th green talking to Ben Crenshaw.  The interviewer I could tell was a bit stunned .So I quickly said "he was the actor who played Jesus in the Passion. Was that an eye-opener for me.  Literally saw Jesus in a Masters shirt - live. The Lord was giving me a real-life object lesson to illustrate what Leslie Weatherhead was talking about in -The Transforming Friendship. I really saw will Jesus in the flesh – I don’t mean that sacrilegious at all, just that this is how real he needs to be to us.