I have been reading the two books of
Samuel the past few weeks through Forward Day by Day
(prayer.forwardmovement.org). David is
a fascinating biblical character full of complex contradictions. Perhaps that was the necessary leadership
trait for greatness in ancient times. I
particularly enjoy reading about his strategic action to overtake Jerusalem.
As I understand it, he discovered the way into Jerusalem through the Wadi, or
well. He took what we would probably
call a commando unit up the well and overcame the force within the fortress.
I caught
myself thinking of this action metaphorically wondering who could find the well
in Washington, D.C. to overcome the established, affluent, order. Of course there are significant drawbacks to
this contemporary scenario. I’m not
convinced, after reading the two Samuels, that biblical writers were sure
whether David was a good guy. God even
warned the people of Israel of the drawbacks that come with a kingdom. Yeah, David slayed a giant and he made Israel
a significant player in regional politics, but he did many immoral things:
think Bathsheeba. I’m not sure a
contemporary leader with David’s charisma would get the results we desire.
In this day
and age many of us want a modern day Messiah to take over and set the country
straight. We suffer from a mythology
about imperial leadership that is not only undemocratic, but almost
non-existent in a historical context.
The David model shows us that individuals are flawed. The best of our history, although primed by strong
leaders, was a collective effort. One
similarity to David's Jerusalem is that Washington does tend to act like a walled city. In fact, so do many state capitols. Influence peddlers gain access, circle up the
wagons, and keep policy makers in the dark, or worse, well fed.
Grand
republican experiments have always had difficulty maintaining a democratic
approach to governance because the populous often desires a benign omnipotent
leader to keep them safe and prosperous.
Focusing the welfare of a country on one individual has typically ended
badly. Our republic is suffering because
the public with varying political perspectives spends a great deal of time
looking for one progenitor of the ideal.
The fact that such an ideal is non-existent is often forgotten due to
tenuous societal circumstances. More times
than not, republics have fallen because people willingly buy the snake oil of a
few. Perhaps the most constant theme we
glean from David is not his actions, but the uncertainty of Biblical
reporters. Is David a good guy? Does the
over all prosperity of a Kingdom justify brutal action or indicate God’s will? The conflict between Messianic saviors and
cynical political behavior muddies the historical verdict.
Our
Constitutional legacy was started as an agreement among Men who owned
property. The result was a willingness
to acknowledge differences while maintaining a status quo supported by historic
governmental behavior. Of course this,
like the flawed Davidian line, led to problems and adjustments brought on by
rampant hand ringing, corruption, violence and, in the best cases, respectful
problem solving. Not perfect, but often promising.
Every four
years we look for a President who can bend everyone to a will formed by moral
certainty of a non-existent majority. The
willfulness of government, communities and individuals keeps such power at bay
(Thank Goodness). Our only way to
positive change for the greater society in a republic is to accept that the
citizens must do the heavy lifting.
Finding the proverbial Wadi will not change this requirement.
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