Tim Russert, moderator of NBC's Sunday morning show Meet the Press, died on Friday of a heart attack at the age of 58. I watched Meet the Press every week as a podcast download. Here was someone who was gracious, passionate about the truth, playful, prepared, thoughtful, and sensitive. A good man. A devout Roman Catholic who never missed Sunday mass. I looked forward to hearing his take on things. I was often moved by things he said.
Tiger Woods, just hit a shot to tie the U.S. Open and force a playoff tomorrow. He had to hit the put on hole number 18 to tie it. He has a sore knee from recent surgery. Huge crowds follow him everywhere. I heard one golf expert predict before the tournament on ESPN radio that the only two golfers he would predict winning would be Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson – no one else is close. So under all that pressure, Tiger does it anyway.
They both inspire me to approach life's duties with more focus and energy. Russert worked at Meet the Press for some 19 years. His integrity and outstanding work eventually became clear to everyone. Woods worked at the game of golf from the time he was in diapers. Most of us are doing mundane things tomorrow morning. I am studying German and writing a paper on John Howard Yoder. But I think Russert and Woods inspire me to do both of those things a bit better. Work, excellence, focus, integrity . . . they are often done in the darkness of the mundane but these things do impact people. Eugene Peterson borrowed Friedrich Nietzsche's phrase, "a long obedience in the same direction" for the title of his book. Will we do what we are called to do tomorrow with determination to do it well? Eventually, it will impact people and bring glory to God. We can trust God for the results.
Russert:
NBC's Meet the Press videos and podcast tributes
PBS NewsHour: Mark Shields and David Brooks Mull Campaigns, Reflect on Russert's Life
NBC's Coverage
CNN's Reliable Sources
Woods:
Tiger Woods at NBC Sports forces playoff
Related:
See my post: Why pastors should be both goal-setting fanatics and cynics
3 replies on “Tim Russert and Tiger Woods inspire me to do my tasks with greater focus and determination”
Great post, Andy!
This is a topic that’s close to my heart, but not something I’m very good at.
There’s a great group in the Catholic Church, “Opus Dei,” whose mission is on helping people search for holiness in work and ordinary life. It’s very much this sort of thing: focus on where God has you, not where you’d wish to be; everything you have to do is worth doing with purpose; do all things as if God is your immediate supervisor.
It would be such a blessing to get these lessons through my thick skull! 🙂
Andy,
I’ve been mostly away from the blogosphere for a few days, so I hadn’t seen your post.
I have been amazed at all the outpouring of tributes and grief for Tim Russert by his colleagues in the national media. He was clearly one of those figures who goes about his work with such integrity and joy that he was beloved by just about everyone (and I imagine that is a rare thing in the turbulent world of national politics). The articles I have read suggest that he had a true love for his work, and that his passion and dedication were borne out of that love. That is, in my mind, the very definition of living out a vocation (rather than just working at a job). We should all be so lucky.
I had a great deal of respect for Russert, but had no idea he was such a committed Catholic. It was encouraging to hear the testimonies of those he touched.
He was in a cynical business, and in a position to be cynical, but he was not a cynic. He did seem to feel he was a steward of public trust. Quite an inspiration.
I feel for his family–father, wife, and son. They did help mold and share him.