In God’s Grip
What Golf Can Teach Us About the Gospel
By Russell J. Levenson Jr.
Insight Press, 174 pages, $24.95
Anyone who has spent more than a passing moment exploring the vast literature on the game of golf will have discovered Ben Hogan’s 1957 classic, Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. After many years of mastering the game, Hogan, who did not fashion himself as a teacher, finally put down his thoughts on the essentials of what makes a good golf swing.
After many years of pastoral ministry, the Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, rector of St. Martin’s Church in Houston, turns to Hogan’s book as a medium for offering his own reflections on the character of the Christian life and our pursuit of a relationship with God, the One who is in fact pursuing us far more than we could ever pursue him. The book is a fun, charming, and nourishing meditation that will appeal to both beginners and lovers of the beautiful game.
The book begins with a poignant vignette from Hogan’s acceptance speech after he had won the U.S. Open for the fourth time in 1953. After thanking his wife, Valerie, for her immeasurable support, Hogan commented, “But there’s something else I’m thankful for — you just can’t do this sort of thing without God’s help.” Taking his lead from Hogan’s remark, Levenson walks through Hogan’s book chapter by chapter to offer a guide for how to understand and seek a life with Jesus Christ. Page by page, Levenson compares the Christian life to the challenging and enjoyable game of golf, from the grip of the club, the stance at address, the backswing, downswing, and a final review.
Each chapter begins with a quotation from Hogan followed by a saying of Jesus. Levenson offers his reflections by drawing on Scripture, the Book of Common Prayer, and a number of other sources from his wide reading. There are quotations from Frederick Buechner, Richard Foster, C.S. Lewis, and especially Levenson’s mentor, John Stott.
The main idea we come away with is the importance of continual practice and growth in our life in Christ — especially through a disciplined life of prayer — all on the basis of God’s gracious love for us through thick and thin, whatever our “level” of faith and spiritual skill. In the end, Levenson echoes Hogan’s admonition that the player have patience with himself or herself, accept and embrace the need for long practice and constant learning in the Christian life, and focus on the profound joy of living our lives in God’s care.
The Rev. Dr. Christopher A. Beeley is rector of Church of the Incarnation in Dallas.
