David and Goliath

Do you ever feel like David facing Goliath?? I sure do. At some times more than others. I think that falls under the heading of “Injustice”, sometimes unfair situations happen, and we have no choice but to fight for the truth, to get some sense of justice in a situation. I am reminded too of a French movie star when I was a kid. His name was Jean Marais, and he dressed like Robin Hood in his films, (in tights) and was always swinging off a chandelier, brandishing a sword, and fighting off 52 attackers. And of course he always won, lucky guy. But sometimes I feel like I’m facing the 52 attackers, have no sword, would be terrified to swing off a chandelier, and I would look ridiculous in the costumes he wore. But sometimes it really does feel like we’re being attacked from all sides, and the situations we’re dealing with aren’t fair. I HATE that feeling. Don’t we all. And you really only have 2 choices, you can either roll over and let the bus flatten you, or you can stand up and fight, no matter how daunting the odds. I hate injustice and unfair situations, so more often than not, I am inclined to fight for justice and what’s fair. It’s a lot of work, and sometimes it is daunting to feel like David facing Goliath. No, it’s ALWAYS daunting feeling like you’re facing Goliath. The odds always appear to be on his side. But sometimes, to my amazement—–right does win, justice is served, and David did slay the giant after all, with a single rock of truth.

It occurred to me this morning that I am currently facing assorted Goliaths. (They usually come in groups. Don’t you find that too? If I have one problem, I have five, or ten, or at least two or three. Problems seem to come in bunches, like grapes). I was thinking about the situations I’m dealing with, two people who caused me considerable expense unjustly, through their actions not mine, but so far haven’t wanted to help defray the costs. A business situation, and two personal ones. And when I look at them hard, I realize that each situation involves injustice of some kind, an unfair situation, and I am fighting like a dog for some justice in each situation. As I thought about it, I realized that I am in the role of David facing Goliath again. Fame and success often attract difficult situations, where people decide to take a running leap at you and see what they get. Why not? They figure you’re not really a person anyway, so off they go, trying to pull some stunt. But it happens to all of us actually, a carpenter who makes you pay for work in advance, and then doesn’t do the work and keeps your money. Someone who owes you money and wont pay up. A friend who accuses you of things you know you didn’t do. Someone else gets the job that we deserve, and worked so hard for. I think all of us spend a lot of time and energy fighting for justice in our lives, in our relationships, in our work, sometimes even with our families. Things just aren’t always fair, and that’s hard to swallow. So we fight the good fight to correct the situation, and we feel tiny sometimes (or at least I do), in the face of a bellowing giant who tries to bully us. But right is right. And it’s worth fighting for.

I’m sure it sounds corny, but there are some situations in the Bible that I really like, and which inspire me. The three Hebrew boys (who have impossible names, like Shadrach, Abednego and someone else), who were unfairly thrown into the fiery furnace (been there, done that). And there they sat, taking the heat, as it were, for something they didn’t do. And the next morning, they were released, and not only were they not burned, (not a hair on their head, as it says), but there was not a hint of the fire on them, not even the smell of smoke—-in other words, not even a trace of the experience—-they were protected by being right, and they were not harmed by the bad experience. I think about that story a lot. And then of course Daniel in the Lion’s den, who was locked up with the lion (unfairly again) overnight, and the lion didn’t eat him, touch him, or harm him, and Daniel emerged from the experience unscathed. Those stories both encourage me when I am facing difficult situations, but know that I am fighting for principle and justice. And then of course David and Goliath. You can tell yourself that the little guy fired off a lucky shot with a single pebble and brought the big guy down, but on the other hand, he had justice on his side, and was willing to stand up and fight a giant. And lucky shot or not, he won!!! Pretty awesome!!!

Anyway, we all face some giants in our lives, our share of Goliaths, unjust, unfair scary situations, where we are outnumbered and feel as though there is no hope that we’ll win. But win or lose, I cannot help but fight for what I believe in, and I always hope that I will come out of the fiery furnace unscathed, without even the smell of smoke, that the lion will not eat me, and that I’ll pull off a lucky shot and slay the giant too. Win or lose, live or die, you really have to fight for what’s right, and I know how hard that is. But I think that in the end, fighting against the bullies and the giants, and standing up for what’s right is always the best choice. And justice is a powerful force.

Love, Danielle