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When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. 1 Samuel 17:48-49
I fondly remember hearing this story for the first time and thinking how fantastic David was. I loved that David confronted and bested a bully. I got picked on out in South Hall County in the 70s. I never could stand a bully. I loved how the boy David, portrayed as not being much older than me, could slay a "giant" bully.
The world is still full of bullies, isn't it? Whoever you are, you probably have your own opinion of who they might be (I know I do). Leader/Bullies are the ones who get their way through bluster, threatening, and posturing. Dealing with bullies requires us to draw from our most profound spiritual (and sometimes physical) resources to either beat them or, at the very least, tolerate them until they go away.
We can't just respond to them with violence like David. Sure, his killing the big dude with one expertly hurled rock does put him in the realm of superheroes. David's "smooth stone" was a last resort that worked. Did that stone end all wars, though? Did it "wage peace" for generations to come for Israel? Did it bring on ages of harmony and cooperation among the people of the Middle East Region? Did it end the phenomenon of the "leader-bully."
Nope. It did not. David was a hero, and he won the battle, but the war continued (and continues). Violence, even when we have to use it as a last resort, as Americans have when confronting great evil (re: Hitler-Mussolini, etc), is always an outward sign of a failure of love. After all, the US remains safe mainly because we possess the most significant potential to do the worst violence.
I don't live under a rock, so I will admit that violence is a "sign of our broken world," sometimes requiring a violent response. However, as a follower of a man who had great violence done to him and returned only love and forgiveness, I have to accept my participation in the violent world as a tragic necessity.
Still, I will always enjoy hearing and thinking about this story. And yes, I wish I could use a sling like David's. And yes, I find it entertaining when bullies get their butts kicked. Nobody likes a bully, after all. Hopefully, God can do her good work transforming their hearts and minds such that they repent, whoever they are.
Tim+
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