April 2 - Jonathan & David's Friendship
During lent, our focus has been on stories and practices that help us connect to eternal love and undermine the power and influence of evil. Rarely does straight-on confrontation change lives, but there are many stories in scripture about people taking a round about way to change unjust systems.
The constant onslaught of media puts many people into states of rage or fear where we use the tiny parts of our brain and cut off creativity. Subversive spirituality encourages us to look at new ways of approaching the world where we are not in a state of "fight, flight, or freeze."
Now we invite you to discern scripture. Read the story about Jonathan and David's friendship from 1 Samuel 20. Think about how the story speaks to you about being less reactive and more creative, less isolated and more connected?
DAVID and JONATHAN
30 Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”
32 “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.
34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.
35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, 36 and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” 38 Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 39 (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”
41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.
42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.[b]
How can the narrative of David, Jonathan, and Saul in 1 Samuel 20 be used as a guide for dealing with conflicts and challenges in our own relationships?
Link to Bible verses: 1 Samuel 20
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