“How many of us in this whole room,” he asked, “thought we were his favorite? Everyone. Everyone. That was his gift—the gift of all gifts.”
The was singer and songwriter Vince Gill at the memorial service this week for Arnold Palmer. Gill was Mr. Palmer’s favorite singer, and they had played golf many times together.
Millions of people felt like they new him… and hundreds of thousands felt like he knew them. That was Mr. Palmer’s magic.
What Brother Vince said next reminded me of my father:
“That’s because he treated everyone equal” Gill continued, sharing Mr. Palmer’s gift, “whether it was a king or was a queen, or it was just the guy who wanted an autograph. That’s an example we should all follow.”
Gill continued his story—as one of eight tributes to Palmer at the memorial service—and sang Carole King’s song, “You’ve Got A Friend.”
There’s an old—entirely blasphemous but not entirely unfunny joke—about Jesus and Arnold Palmer to which I couldn’t help but see parallels. Forgive me, Father, for chuckling when I heard it this week.
The gift of all gifts is such a beautiful phrase.
God gave his only son so that we could have eternal life. (A sign regularly held up—as John 3:16—at golf tournaments.)
That’s clearly the first gift of all gifts and to love God with your whole heart and soul is God’s first law.
But Mr. Palmer’s first law is the same as God’s second:
“Love your neighbor.”
Or, as Brother Vince put it:
“Treat everyone equal.”
That’s an example we can all follow.
Well played, Mr. Palmer.
Here’s the video of Gill from Mr. Palmer’s service: