I love to win. So much so that I really dislike playing collaborative games. If there is not a chance of me winning I am not terribly interested in playing.
We are in the throw of the summer Olympics and it has been fascinating watching the responses of different athletes. Watching the US Men place third in team gymnastics but celebrate like they won gold felt like watching an amazing drummer playing at the wrong gig. In swimming I watched as the women who placed first and second hugged each other and congratulated one another. And then I listed as one of the US athletes who won silver said, “If I’m being honest I am a little disappointed.”
Being victorious in whatever it is we are doing is the standard for being successful. Whether it is a pickup game of basketball, an Olympic competition, or fighting a war, success comes only when we win. I was reflecting on this as I read 2 Samuel 8 this morning in Bible study. This text was disturbing as it chronicles some of King David’s victories. The total death count was around 50,000 people. How can this be in God’s plan? And how do we reconcile passages like this with a Jesus who seems to often be a pacifist telling us to turn the other cheek and to put our sword away.
“After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.”
2 Samuel 8:1-2 ESV
How often do we use texts like this to justify a Christian Nationalism idealism. Our country is the best and we need to defeat all the other countries making them our servants, obeying our laws, and making them pay tribute to us. As I worked hard to see the gospel in this text and apply it to our lives today I found myself identifying less with King David and his army and more with the Moabites. Two thirds of them were killed, but grace was given to one third of them. What if rather than trying to win all the time seeking retaliation I instead was filled with gratitude for being part of the one third that got to live? And how might I pay tribute to Jesus knowing this? There is no doubt that this text is still troubling for me, but in my plight to be more like Jesus and live more in his kingdom I find myself identifying more with the Moabites and less with the Israelites. I am realizing that this kingdom is not one of winning but instead is one that is full of grace and gratitude. While that’s not always the strongest desire of my heart, it is the deepest and continues to be what I ultimately hope for and build my life toward.