DE PONDERINGS
Read I Samuel 23
The book of I Samuel in the Hebrew scriptures provides narrative about King Saul and David. The relationship these two have is, to say the least, rocky. Saul’s kingship is going through some very tough times and David, who is to become king after Saul, seems to be enjoying success. Saul’s anger, provoked by jealousy, is directed toward David. Saul is intent on inflicting upon David mortal harm. In the 23rd chapter, the conflict in this relationship escalates. David is on the run, hiding, and hoping to escape Saul’s fierce vengeance. Saul is trailing David hoping to find him to carry out premeditated murder. Both Saul and David have informants keeping track of the other’s whereabouts.
An interesting observation about the 23rd chapter is the narrative about David in the first few verses and Saul in the last few verses. In these bookend verses, we find both men taking a break from their intense conflict to take care of business. David gives support to Keilah, a neutral people who were minding their own business and who were under the attack of the Philistines. One way to look at this is that David is helping an oppressed people by subduing the oppressor. Seems like a worthy effort. Saul, in the opposite bookend, also is subduing the oppressive Philistines. (How they subdue the oppressor, whether we agree with their methods or not, is another conversation which I’ll not enter into at this time.)
The bookend verses provide a glimpse of the work these two men were called to do. The verses in-between reveal the unnecessary distraction that generally kept Saul and David from being about their intended calling. Imagine the possibilities for these two men and the people they led had the unnecessary distraction of intense conflict been absent from their lives. Imagine.
As I reflected on this 23rd chapter of I Samuel, I was reminded of the church in our modern context. Too many unnecessary distractions tend to stifle the church’s intended calling. It is not my intention to minimize the subject of the distractions, because many of the things that give rise to conflict in the church have importance. But when the conflict emerges as the “calling” of the church, the purpose of the church is neglected.
At the risk of raising eyebrows, I’ll enumerate some of the unnecessary distractions. Conflict arises over methods of worship, what color to paint the sanctuary walls, who’s in or out based on everything from sexual orientation to the kind of clothes that are worn, and how scripture is interpreted to what one’s political or theological views are on emotionally-electrified social issues. Modern-day Sauls and Davids become engrossed in keeping the heat turned up while giving superficial attention to the oppressed.
Imagine the possibilities for the church and the people she helps if profound attention were given to the needs of the oppressed while minimizing unnecessary distractions by intently listening to one another, entering into dialogical conversation, and striving to live at peace with one another amidst the diversity of important social issues.
I can imagine the possibility as a picture of people who are searching for a faith base, finding it, becoming involved in and with the church community, digging in to do even more for the oppressed of the world, with the result being a world where poverty levels hit new lows, where healthcare becomes a common understanding rather than a pipe dream, where hunger is “fed” out and stomachs are satisfied, where justice prevails and diverse peoples are able to live together cooperatively and peacefully, and where…well, you finish the sentence with your picture of possibilities. The sky’s the limit.
Whatta ya say? Let’s diminish unnecessary distractions and increase the possibilities. God will be pleased. And our neighbors will be blessed.
The book of I Samuel in the Hebrew scriptures provides narrative about King Saul and David. The relationship these two have is, to say the least, rocky. Saul’s kingship is going through some very tough times and David, who is to become king after Saul, seems to be enjoying success. Saul’s anger, provoked by jealousy, is directed toward David. Saul is intent on inflicting upon David mortal harm. In the 23rd chapter, the conflict in this relationship escalates. David is on the run, hiding, and hoping to escape Saul’s fierce vengeance. Saul is trailing David hoping to find him to carry out premeditated murder. Both Saul and David have informants keeping track of the other’s whereabouts.
An interesting observation about the 23rd chapter is the narrative about David in the first few verses and Saul in the last few verses. In these bookend verses, we find both men taking a break from their intense conflict to take care of business. David gives support to Keilah, a neutral people who were minding their own business and who were under the attack of the Philistines. One way to look at this is that David is helping an oppressed people by subduing the oppressor. Seems like a worthy effort. Saul, in the opposite bookend, also is subduing the oppressive Philistines. (How they subdue the oppressor, whether we agree with their methods or not, is another conversation which I’ll not enter into at this time.)
The bookend verses provide a glimpse of the work these two men were called to do. The verses in-between reveal the unnecessary distraction that generally kept Saul and David from being about their intended calling. Imagine the possibilities for these two men and the people they led had the unnecessary distraction of intense conflict been absent from their lives. Imagine.
As I reflected on this 23rd chapter of I Samuel, I was reminded of the church in our modern context. Too many unnecessary distractions tend to stifle the church’s intended calling. It is not my intention to minimize the subject of the distractions, because many of the things that give rise to conflict in the church have importance. But when the conflict emerges as the “calling” of the church, the purpose of the church is neglected.
At the risk of raising eyebrows, I’ll enumerate some of the unnecessary distractions. Conflict arises over methods of worship, what color to paint the sanctuary walls, who’s in or out based on everything from sexual orientation to the kind of clothes that are worn, and how scripture is interpreted to what one’s political or theological views are on emotionally-electrified social issues. Modern-day Sauls and Davids become engrossed in keeping the heat turned up while giving superficial attention to the oppressed.
Imagine the possibilities for the church and the people she helps if profound attention were given to the needs of the oppressed while minimizing unnecessary distractions by intently listening to one another, entering into dialogical conversation, and striving to live at peace with one another amidst the diversity of important social issues.
I can imagine the possibility as a picture of people who are searching for a faith base, finding it, becoming involved in and with the church community, digging in to do even more for the oppressed of the world, with the result being a world where poverty levels hit new lows, where healthcare becomes a common understanding rather than a pipe dream, where hunger is “fed” out and stomachs are satisfied, where justice prevails and diverse peoples are able to live together cooperatively and peacefully, and where…well, you finish the sentence with your picture of possibilities. The sky’s the limit.
Whatta ya say? Let’s diminish unnecessary distractions and increase the possibilities. God will be pleased. And our neighbors will be blessed.
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