Why did "God" love David?
A little while ago I did a post mentioning Gloria Steinem, since the article was up at NPR, I decided to look at a few of the essays, and I stumbled on this one,"Leaving Identity Issues to Other Folks" by Phyllis Allen.
It's a great little piece, and ends with this:
Just the other day, I was commenting at Reasons' hit and run blog, two of the posters from Reason were disagreeing about Cindy Sheehan, it was interesting, because the threads were incredibly long as people commented, and it spilled into a third thread, (and one of the posters there even pointed out how glad he was that now that they were wasting "pixels" to show how worthless the story was).
The one thing they missed, and it was kind of typical for the modern Libertarian movement, was personal liberty. They quickly drifted from questioning her arguments and motives, to questioning her very right to be herself, to speak and act her mind.
I made a comment that went something like this...
Ever since I was a child, I felt the most important job I had was being a human being. It's amazing to me that so many of us have forgotten, as we try to live other peoples lives for them, that our "job" is our own life.
So, what about the title? Well, I wish I could remember where I first was introduced to this idea, but here it is...
In the bible, David, the giant slayer, was beloved of God. And I mean beloved. But he was a total bastard, a complete prick. He committed adultery, and sent the husband of his mistress to the front lines to be killed. He screwed up with his kids, he caused Israel no end of grief.
BUT...he lived, he danced to the glory of "That Which Is", he rejoiced in the gift of life, and he lived the life he was given to the fullest.
Now, most folks who know me know that I'm no believer in the bible as the direct word of "God", but these stories are still important to me for what I can learn from them, and from the story of David, I learned...live your life, and be the best you can be. Even if that best you can be, is to be a fool.
It's a great little piece, and ends with this:
Now, it's a brand new millennium and the bling-bling, video generation ain't about me. Everything changed when I turned 50. Along with the wrinkles, softened muscles and weak eyesight came the confidence that allows me to stick to a very small list of beliefs. I'll leave those identity issues to other folks. I believe that I'm free to be whoever I choose to be. I believe in being a good friend, lover and parent so that I can have good friends, lovers and children. I believe in being a woman -- the best that I can be, like my Mama said.
Just the other day, I was commenting at Reasons' hit and run blog, two of the posters from Reason were disagreeing about Cindy Sheehan, it was interesting, because the threads were incredibly long as people commented, and it spilled into a third thread, (and one of the posters there even pointed out how glad he was that now that they were wasting "pixels" to show how worthless the story was).
The one thing they missed, and it was kind of typical for the modern Libertarian movement, was personal liberty. They quickly drifted from questioning her arguments and motives, to questioning her very right to be herself, to speak and act her mind.
I made a comment that went something like this...
Everyone's moral duty, was to be themselves, fully and with vigor...
Ever since I was a child, I felt the most important job I had was being a human being. It's amazing to me that so many of us have forgotten, as we try to live other peoples lives for them, that our "job" is our own life.
So, what about the title? Well, I wish I could remember where I first was introduced to this idea, but here it is...
In the bible, David, the giant slayer, was beloved of God. And I mean beloved. But he was a total bastard, a complete prick. He committed adultery, and sent the husband of his mistress to the front lines to be killed. He screwed up with his kids, he caused Israel no end of grief.
BUT...he lived, he danced to the glory of "That Which Is", he rejoiced in the gift of life, and he lived the life he was given to the fullest.
Now, most folks who know me know that I'm no believer in the bible as the direct word of "God", but these stories are still important to me for what I can learn from them, and from the story of David, I learned...live your life, and be the best you can be. Even if that best you can be, is to be a fool.
posted by Johnny Lightheart at 10:29 AM
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