A Testimony From Moscow

One of our friends in Europartners (CBMC Europe) reaching the industrials and oligarchs in Moscow at a golf club:

I just barely took the third place in the Mulligan Cup at a Moscow Golf Club. The victory did qualify me for delivering a speech at the prize-giving ceremony, though. I put my clerical collar shirt and pectoral crucifix on, climbed the pedestal, requested a mic, and said – loud and clear – to all the members of the club in attendance: “I want you all to know that the concept of mulligan originated in the Bible!

A ‘mulligan’ in golf is a second chance to make a shot after the first one went wrong through bad luck or a blunder, and so with no penalty. Two conditions must be met for the mulligan to happen, though: First, you cannot take a mulligan yourself. It has to be offered to you. Second, you have to admit you hit a poor shot, made a mistake, to humble yourself and accept the mulligan. But then – your score card is but a blank slate!

The Gospel is that way. The Bible says, ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ Just as it is the case with the mulligan, you cannot obtain salvation yourself; God offers salvation to you. Then you have to admit that you made mistakes in your life for which you are sorry and accept this salvation. But when the two conditions are met, you start your life all from scratch!
Thus, God gave us the greatest mulligan of all times in Jesus Christ. Accept it!”

The club went silent. And I said, “More on the Mulligan – in the Bible of which I am willing to give a copy to anyone who asks!” (My stack of Bibles disappeared before I reached my table.)