Friday, March 10, 2017

Lesser or Greater

You know how we've always been brought up to believe that we're the 'best of our kind' and need not play second fiddle to anyone. That whoever some other person is or can be, we also can and sometimes must become. Now I'm not calling out those who have preached this or those who practice it, I'm just saying I don't subscribe to it as a rule anymore and I'd share why. Jonathan and David had a truly remarkable relationship which fills me with desire. Desire to have such a friend, desire to be such a friend to someone! You see, we were taught to see Jonathan and David as best of friends - to admire the exemplary bond of love and respect they had for each other. And while this isn't false, in actual reality, they were more than this. They were rivals - yes, rivals for the throne of Israel. David would be the reason Jonathan would not be King and they both knew this. 
  
"And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." 
1 Samuel 23:16-17 

 Profound! His father Saul was furious at the thought of this. His son, heir to his throne, was willingly going to play 2nd fiddle to the son of one of his subjects. Obviously, Jonathan knew and understood something Saul didn't - something even we probably haven't yet fully grasped. Because even I question if I would be so honourable, were I to be in Jonathan's shoes. Would I have helped David as much as Jonathan did? Would you? 
  
"Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you." 
1 Samuel 20:4 
  
And indeed Jonathan kept his word. From covering up for David to helping him escape from Saul who was trying to kill him, he did all he could to make sure David became king of Israel. God created two lights - two lights. But He created them differently, to serve two different purposes. And in Genesis it's clearly stated that one light was created greater and the other lesser.  
   
"God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." 
Genesis 1:16 

 The sun was made to be this big, imposing, always conspicuous ball of fire that no one would miss - the center of the universe - just who many of us would love to be. The moon and stars were created in contrast to be much smaller and tame, in fact with the moon having no light of it's own. Instead depending on the sun for light. Not the center of any universe and I dare say, not how many of us would like to be.  

As humans, we grow up to love the spotlight - wanting always to be the center of attraction and loving every second we are. We want to be the sun and have the entire solar system revolve around us, consequently, we miss out on the beauty of being the moon or stars. Yes, that's true! I mean literally what has the sun in its fullness to offer that compares with that of the moon. Think of the beauty of a crescent moon and that of the full moon with stars all around: how they fill one with awe and radiate in a truly beautiful manner that though borrowed from the sun, overshadows the sun's light in breathtaking ways. And yes, they're the 'lesser' lights.

Towards a better humanity, 
Diazno  

4 comments:

  1. Hmmmmmmmm! I gat nothing much to say than........ Dieser Artikel ist sehr informativ und das ist auch einen wichtigen Ratschlag für jeden Leuten in der ganze Welt ��. Gut �� gemacht Bruder!

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  2. Thank you Diazno, great to meditate in our own selfishness.

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