2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

Year B - Pentecost +6 or Energy to Witness ⁶

July 5, 2015

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

The first appeal to David is as a tribal member (bone and flesh) and practical effectiveness (you’ve been leading). In this paradigm we don’t just have “servant leaders” but “servant rulers”.

At Hebron it was not G*D and Samuel doing the anointing to shepherding a larger flock but it was the tribal leaders (presumably doing G*D’s work?) that finally disclosed their support of David—something they were not able to do for fear of Saul. In some way this parallels people finally, and safely, disclosing their support of same-sex marriages or disapproval of an out-dated flag—after a period of fear of religious and cultural literalists (today’s Sauls).

Do note that David did not get full pension credit for his work life. At the Hebron “G*D Outlet” the pension was based on full-years completed. As a result David’s seven years and six months only count for seven years. Even so has management nickel and dimed labor to this day.

Attend to what happens when a City of Peace is named for a person or people (City of David). It becomes a focus of division, ruination, and captivity. What seems so close (David) displaces perennial work (Peace). Even before David’s death, intrique sets in. It is not enough to cover life over with pious sayings such as, “the Lord, the God of hosts, was with David.” Such perspective unconsciously and/or unwittingly lead to—When David falls, this Lord is diminished.