Living in the Spirit
July 19, 20219
Scripture Reading:
2 Samuel 11:1-15
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15In the letter he wrote, ‘Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.‘ –2 Samuel 11:14-15
I chose not to include the entire scripture that describes the sordid details of David’s dalliance with Bathsheba. The scripture reference is cited above if you wish to read it. The affair itself was bad enough. Having her husband killed to cover up David’s behavior went beyond the pale in the world, and he knew that. With no respect for life, he moved to protect his public image as king. I do not see God anywhere in this story. I do see the presence of politics and ego. I see the desire to check piety off the resume’ one presents to the public. I fear that describes for many the primary purpose of our faith.
The sad part of this story is that David had walked with the Lord from childhood, maintaining a close relationship throughout his life as it has been described to us. After this incident, he eventually sought forgiveness and returned to his faithful practices. So how does evil pressure even someone like David, like all of us, rushing into lust and murder? Following a restless stroll across the balcony of his palace, he sees a woman bathing on her rooftop and decides he wants her. He apparently was bored and missing the excitement of battle since he had turned the army over to his generals.
A lot of people are now caught up in all the varied responses resulting from COVID. Being told that the best thing I could do to help address the pandemic was to stay home, wash my hands, and wear a mask was challenging to one who wants to fix wrong things. I have wondered if some people’s reluctance to get the vaccine is an in-your-face response to the disease, saying, “You cannot rule my life.” Even though it can. This type of tragedy does not routinely impact many of our lives directly. We think we are the chosen people of God. Thus, our sense of selectness is challenged when disasters touch us. I accept that it rains on the just and the unjust*. And I believe that when we open our hearts to God, we do become a part of God’s workforce, chosen to take God’s Kingdom to higher plains. That is what I think it means to be chosen. We need not let boredom, fear, or a sense of lost value drive us to let evil influence us.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we get caught up in the ways of the world and forget for whom we work. Amen.
*Matthew 5:45
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.