Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

“My refuge and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer” --Psalm 144
 
    Whenever I read this story of David and Goliath, I picture a King Kong kind of individual clumsily trying to attack a young teenager. Then I place myself in the scene and fear grips me. We know from scriptural history that dealing with this Philistine was the first of many trials that David had to encounter during his life. Sitting on the sidelines of this fight, let’s look at the battles we encounter. Who or what are the Goliaths in our daily lives and how do we handle them?

    A surge of bad memories might overtake our imagination, seep into our feelings with sadness or a hard vengeance, and fight for control of our will to retaliate in some way. In our work and in our families, we may have disagreements that cut off our relationships like a razor with no band-aid for repair. Envy of others’ successes can blind us to our own goodness, so we mock or ignore other people. Each of us can list our own personal Goliaths in daily life: those people, those events, those personal foibles that focus on our own selfishness. If we are alert to our God and cooperate in daily life, these Goliaths will not overcome us. No, we have our own slingshots, our own God-given gifts that help us deal with all that is negative, despairing, and sinful in our lives.

    Psalm 144 describes God as our rock, our fortress, our deliverer. Yes, God gives us the weapons to slay our monsters of selfishness, dishonesty, envy, blind pride, condescension toward people. In Mark’s gospel Jesus is confronted with a Pharisee who values the law over healing a person’s hand.  Jesus already knows that in this healing, he is setting himself up for negative criticism, even harm. Being human, Jesus has our same feelings of hurt, embarrassment, fear. But his relationship with his Father gives him the hope, the courage, the caring for others that he needs in this situation. 

    And don’t we have these same supports, these same gifts to nurture ourselves and our relationships: grace, gifts and fruits of the Spirit? In our daily conversations with Jesus over that morning cup of coffee, let’s share with him and remember that God will always support us. We may not see, hear, or feel the support to make right decisions, but the grace is there. We need to be alive to it….”My shield in whom I trust.”