Ever Forward
Just as we were putting the finishing touches on the spring edition of Kingdom and looking forward to a great season of golf in a nearly hopefully almost maybe post-pandemic world, things took a dim turn (again) when Russia invaded Ukraine. Watching events unfold and witnessing both the courage and suffering of the Ukrainian people, it has at times been difficult to focus on the task at hand without seeing work and life through the lens of current events—a challenge shared by Ian Poulter, among others.
At this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, he donned a blue shirt and yellow pants, giving a nod to the Ukrainian flag and telling media, “Just wearing a similar color today in respect to those suffering over there is the least I can do...
It brings it into perspective pretty quickly. We just play a silly game of golf while others are in the world suffering.” Ironically, perhaps, this issue of Kingdom is themed around “positive change”— pros chasing dreams and fulfilling promise, visionaries building an electric future for vehicles, and so much more. We’re sticking with that and counting our blessings, focusing on the task at hand and on the light in this world even as we keep an eye on the darkness and do what we can to dispel it. When it is mostly dispelled, when the war is over and COVID has retreated to the distant shadows, there will be a need for restoration, healing and, eventually, joy.
Consider our “silly game,” then, a goal and a bellweather for the current world; for where golf can be played free of politics, fan restrictions, and somber nods to suffering, things certainly are all right. Looking forward to that and keeping Ukraine in our prayers, we hope that you enjoy this issue of Kingdom and that you and yours have a fantastic and safe season.
Thankful for all of you and more,