The Value of Stories #5

The seer’s goal is transformation, and while we can see these things throughout all of Elisha’s ministry they are especially evident in 2Kings 6.

As a prophet, Elisha’s knowledge comes from the Lord. The Arameans suspect that there is a mole, but the reader of 2Kings 6 knows that it is God who divulges their military secrets to Elisha. As advisor, Elisha is able to brief the king. As king, Jehoram is able to effectively organise his troops to safeguard Israel’s national security. But there is more than the question of national security on view in 2Kings 6.

Amid ongoing hostilities between Israel, the Northern Kingdom, and Aram, the king of Israel is inclined to see Aram as ‘the enemy’ and its soldiers as ‘hostiles’. When the Aramean army descends on Dothan, Elisha’s servant is terrified. But Elisha has access to the bigger picture. He has a perspective that allows him to keep his cool. He shares this with his servant so that they can get on with the task in hand.

If Israel and the angelic armies engage these soldiers in battle, they will win. We can call this a win-lose situation. Alternatively they will win the battle only to trigger a retaliatory strike against them at a later date when the Arameans reassert themselves, lose-win. If Israel loses the battle the outcome is clearly lose-win, and this will be worse still if it results in punitive measures inflicted against them.

Elisha executes a plan which will change the situation altogether. He reminds us of the human-ness of the Aramean soldiers and then shows them mercy. More than that, he has the king of Israel show great generosity towards them. This completely diffuses the situation and leads to a period of peace, win-win.

Whenever we find ourselves in the midst of long-running issues there are options open to us which compound the problem and prolong the tensions or there is the option of creatively looking for an approach that will build understanding, build trust, build friendship and work towards real and lasting peace.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.”

The Value of Stories # 4

In a beautiful episode in 2 Samuel 23:13-17, we see David at his best as sovereign, but we also get a chance to see what is meant by the masochist, one of the shadow forms for the warrior.

Courage, self-discipline, self-sacrifice, protecting the weak and living honourably are central for the warrior hero. The warrior lives to serve the sovereign in the cause of justice and honour. Arthurian tales of chivalry resonate deep within us as they excite the warrior inside us all. But when the cause takes over the warrior then the ends begin to justify the means. There is dispassionate talk of “collateral damage” and the fine line between courageous and foolhardy is obscured.

The masochist is so taken up by the cause that they do not consider personal risk and danger. Boundaries are set aside as they respond to commands, or what they perceive to be commands, without regard to their own needs and personal circumstances. Their whole life is taken over by the cause, the quest or the mission. It is to the detriment of personal health, friendships and family.

On a hot day at the end of summer David found himself camped outside Bethlehem, the town where he was born and where he grew up. His mind must have wondered back to similar occasions during his childhood or his youth. He remembered how he would go to a particular well, the one near the city gate. He would draw out some of its water, drink and be satisfied. He would immediately feel refreshed and revitalised. Good times. But for now, despite his proximity to Bethlehem it would have to stay as a memory. There was a Philistine garrison in town and it meant that he would have to stay thirsty, sweaty and dusty from his manoeuvres. He wistfully spoke out his desire, “Oh that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem.”

Three of David’s mighty men heard him say this. As a token of their love and respect for him as their leader and friend, they broke through enemy lines, stole into Bethlehem, went to the well, drew out some water and took it back to David. They offered it to him. As a person, there is nothing that could have been more welcome. As a sovereign, to accept this generous gift would be to encourage others to take the same sort of personal risk just to attend to his personal comfort. Not every exploit would end the same way. He cannot accept it. As sovereign his first thought is not for himself but for those he serves. But he cannot refuse it. He cannot give it back. He cannot ignore this wonderful gesture of generosity and loyalty.

David pours the water on the ground. On one level it looks like a complete waste and a disregard for the risk his friends have taken. But David is not just a thirsty man, he is sovereign. Furthermore he doesn’t just pour it on the ground. David finds a way both to honour their intentions while at the same time sending a clear message that this is not to become a precedent. He poured the water out before the Lord and explained what he was doing (2 Samuel 23:16-17).

It will be a long time in this story before we see a sovereign act like this again (Mark 10:45). Meanwhile it is important for those who find themselves in the service of that king to remember that the sort of ministry which leads to exhaustion, burn-out and extinction is likely to be associated more with the masochist than the warrior.

The Value of Stories # 3

As we continue to think about the significance of the narrative sections of the Old Testament we turn our attention to David. David gives us a rare glimpse into the role a lover. David made Saul feel very threatened but elsewhere he generates great affection and loyalty. His friendship with David is a prime example.

..So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account." 17 And Jonathan made David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.. (1Samuel 20:16-17)

.. I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.. (2Samuel 1:26)

Individuals within the homosexual lobby have seen this as evidence of David’s homosexuality, but it is better understood as the description of a strong and loyal friendship between two like-minded men, that has been forged through participation together in daring and dangerous tasks, like the liberation of Israel from Philistine domination.

David is an individual who adds to the experience of life, through his friendships, through his poetry, his music and singing. He brought with him a calmness and helped people to enjoy life (1Samuel 16:23), a ministry that he continued towards the king even after Saul had shown that he wanted David dead (1Samuel 19:9). If the stories about David are understood as representative of who he was, then he encouraged people and to give themselves to the celebration, such as when he danced before the ark (2Samuel 6:5), without regard for how this might look to the more conservative (6:20).

And yet just as David could not always keep the sovereign in check so too he allowed the lover to get out of control, not least in his involvement with Bathsheba. It is a reminder to us to enjoy the emotions that God has given us, but not to allow them to take over and dictate our behaviours and a reminder of just how hard it is to walk along that tightrope (cf. 1Cor 10:12-13).

The Value of Stories # 2

The stories of the Old and New Testaments help us to engage with others by offering us examples or ‘archetypes’ to follow (see entry#1 on 3rd Sept).

Everyone wants to live a significant life. We all want to be mourned when we die and to be remembered for having achieved something. We will look to achieve in one of four areas or in a combination of two or more of: warrior, sovereign, seer and lover.

In Saul we see an example of what happens when a warrior is made sovereign. Saul cannot handle the responsibility. He fought well and bravely to rescue the people of Jabesh when they were under threat, but he is unable to function well as a sovereign.

As king his job is to empower and inspire others. But Saul is never confident enough of his position to allow himself to be generous towards others and to trust them and release them for service. He mistrusts his own son Jonathan even though it would be hard to find a more loyal individual. And the second half of 1 Samuel is dominated by his mistrust of David, even though David proves his loyalty on several occasions.

Saul is insecure as sovereign and is fearful that his power will be handed over to someone better suited for leadership and so he acts not so much as sovereign but out of a ‘shadow’ form of the archetype. He acts as tyrant. There is no room in his administration for warriors like David, though he needs them to fight the Philistines. He fears that warriors may attract support and threaten his position as king. Nor is there room for seers so he does not follow through on Samuel’s advice to him and eventually Samuel is forced into a sort of retirement. He perhaps fears that a seer will expose his lack of ability and his unsuitability as king.

Saul teaches us that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Just because Saul made a good warrior does not automatically mean that he will make a good sovereign. We may, from time to time, be asked to work outside our preferences but we should expect that our best contribution to be according to the way that God has made us. This is likely to be in a way that builds on the experiences that he has brought us through and the personality and preferences that he’s uniquely gifted us with.

The Value of Stories

Some scholars work with the assumption that what counts in the narrative sections of the Bible are the propositions that are to be found there. They want to analyse and dissect a story so that it can be reduced to a series of theological statements. But if this were all that God intended us to do with the long sections of narrative in the Bible, then it is a wonder that he didn’t give us an encyclopaedia or Bible dictionary rather than a long and involved story of salvation.

Sociologists and psychologists will say that beyond supplying propositions, narratives have another important function. Not only do they convey information but they also confer and confirm identity. The stories that we listen to and the stories that we tell play an important part in making us who we are as a community. Furthermore it is in and through those stories that we, as individuals, learn to make sense of the world and of our experiences in it. There is something about a story, they suggest, that is internalised and becomes part of who we are and how we engage with the world outside us. There is something about a shared story that joins us and contributes to a sense of community.

Writers in this area suggest that stories help us to engage with others by offering us examples or ‘archetypes’ to follow. Everyone, they say, wants to live a significant life. They want to be mourned when they die and they want to be remembered for having achieved something. We will look to achieve in one of four areas or in a combination of two or more of: warrior, sovereign, seer and lover.

The narratives in the Bible help us to know how the people of God are to fight, to lead, to offer advice and to help others to appreciate all that God has made. These same narratives also warn us about what happens when these archetypes are expressed inappropriately and the sovereign becomes a tyrant or the seer a fool. They warn us how easily this change can occur and help us always to rely on God and on those he has set around us to keep us balanced and focused.

Samuel is an example of a seer. He is still learning and growing throughout his ministry, and there’s a lesson here for us. One of the things he learns is to see potential and what might be. So he trusts God and anoints a young David in preference to an older and more impressive Eliab or Abinadab. He also learns that his responsibility is to advise Israel and Saul and later David but that he is not responsible if that advice, well presented, is ignored. So he advised Israel against taking a king, but learnt to trust God and to stand by Saul when Israel persisted with their request. Samuel might have been disappointed with their decision, but he did not allow himself to turn that disappointment to bitterness. He served Saul speaking warmly and encouragingly over him at his anointing and continuing to advise him throughout his lifetime. In Samuel we see how to use the wisdom that God gives for the benefit of others and in service of his kingdom.

To be continued ...

Sabbatical with Balaam #5

I’ve been thinking about Balaam for some time now. Although he gets a mention in seven books, from Deuteronomy to Revelation, my thinking is focused on the so-called Balaam narratives in Numbers 22-24. The next chapter in the book does not mention Balaam, though what takes place is later connected to him. In that chapter (Numbers 25) the Israelites come perilously close to being destroyed. It is as if God has sovereignly undertaken to keep Israel safe in chapters 22-24 and having protected them against the most frightening weapons systems that the world had to offer, it is only to see them shoot themselves in the foot. It’s a sequel that didn’t need to happen.

Funnily enough, Terminator 3 (N.B see last blog for reference to Terminator!) has been referred to as a sequel that didn’t need to happen. This certainly seems to reflect James Cameron’s position. Cameron directed Terminator and Terminator 2 but declined to participate in the sequel. In T3 the new threat comes from a T-X. Played by Kristanna Loken this is not so much a he cyborg as a she. But this is perhaps where we should leave the Terminator franchise and get back to Numbers.

In Numbers 25 the new threat is not some hired assassin (Destroyer) nor the king of Moab aka. Devastator. The new threat is Israel themselves and the way they can so easily forget the things of God in the presence of sexual temptation. The Israelites forgot God’s calling on their lives and their role as his agents. They forgot how he had saved them from slavery and looked after them so long. They forgot his promises to them and the honour and privilege of being called by him to participate in his plans. The [Israelite] men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women.

We kid ourselves if we think that we are any different. That is why at College, faculty, staff and students take these things very seriously. It's why we are thankful for the support and encouragement we all experience here and for the invitation we know we have to pray together 'lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil'. As a ministry training college we have an opportunity to share together on a deep level and to participate together in making God known to a needy world. These same highs and lows are part of our students' ministry experience in their churches. These are profoundly significant things and often connected to powerful emotions and momentous experiences. But with that ebb and flow of emotion the temptation to cross a line or step over a boundary often surfaces. Numbers 25 shows how destructive this can be for everyone involved.

Sabbatical with Balaam #4

Warning: contains plot spoilers!

It will come as no surprise that since my last entry I’ve been thinking about Balaam. I’ve been exploring a feature of the text that I noticed a while ago but have not known what to do with. The story begins with a character Balak who summons someone from far away. This someone is Balaam.

Sometimes in Biblical narrative it is important to take note of the names. Nabal is a classic example. He appears in 1 Samuel 25. His name simply means ‘fool’ and anyone reading the OT in its original language would hear the word ‘fool’ every time the guy’s name is mentioned. It affects how we think of him as a character and what we understand he contributes both to the plot of 1 Samuel and to the Kingdom of God.

Balak’s name means Devastator. Nasty piece of work you might think – especially if you had sympathies with the Israelites in Numbers. But here’s the point - Balaam’s name means Destroyer. Weird isn’t it! There are two central characters in the story, one is called Devastator, the other Destroyer. It got me thinking about another destroyer figure, but not Alien or Predator. It got me thinking about the Terminator and thisis where the plot spoilers come in – but don’t worry, not for soon-to-be-released Terminator 4, only for 1 and 2.

In the movie Arnie’s character is the Terminator. He comes from far away - well it might as well be far away. He comes from the future and that’s not any place we can get on an aeroplane and fly to. He comes from far away and is sent to destroy a character from whom will come the one person who can save the human race. Is it too much to think of Balaam in Numbers 22? He comes from far away, from Pethor which is presumably near the river Euphrates and not a place your average Israelite is ever going to get a chance to visit. He is summoned to terminate the Israelites who are the people from whom will come the Saviour of the world.

And then in Terminator 2 Arnie is back. He’s in much the same gear, the same attitude, the same accent. The twist is that his role is now to protect the One. More than that, he has to do so against the wishes and despite the efforts of a second destroyer cyborg. In Numbers 23-24 Balaam blesses Israel and, in a way, secures both their present protection and so guarantees their future and the line of descent to Jesus, and all this against the background of Balak’s becoming increasingly angry and hostile towards him.

Weird isn’t it? C.S. Lewis used to say that the Bible story, from beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation, is the story of salvation, the only story of salvation which can fully satisfy our hearts and which our inner-selves long to be a part of. He’s kind of following Augustine here. But he then goes on to suggest that any other story of salvation or redemption, whether it is Snow White or Clueless, Terminator or his own Narnia Chronicles, triggers something in us that resonates with a faint memory of the true story, the Bible story.

It is this, as much as anything, that we are enjoying when we sit and watch a good redemptive movie, like the Shawshank Redemption or read a redemptive novel, like Atonement.

I wonder if he is right.