Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice. – 2 Samuel 1:20

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 2, 2013): 2 Samuel 1

In the National Football League, the playoff matchups are set. The challenge of this week is to look at the tapes of the team that are now the opponents in a one game show-down and devise a way of beating them. The winners, especially among the underdogs of the next few weeks, will be the ones that can find both a weakness in their opponents as well as a way to exploit that weakness. And maybe for that reason, the health of the teams becomes a well kept secret at this time of year – because if you have a key player that is unable to play or even just unable to compete at the level at which they would normally compete, well, that just might be a weakness that the opposing team might take some time to prepare for.

As David begins his ode to Saul and Jonathan, he encourages the listener not to proclaim the news in the cities of Philistia, and part of the concern was that the Philistines might see this (very correctly) as a weakness that could be exploited. But that was not the only problem. It could also be seen as a reason to rejoice in the camps of Israel’s enemy, and David wanted no one to rejoice over the death of his king.

And neither do we. The adage that misery loves company may not be totally true. What misery desires is to be understood – and it is not understood by celebration. Sorrow requires the empathy of people that understand our sorrow because they have experienced it. Life comes with its own share of sorrows, and sometimes all we need is to be understood in the midst of them. May that be our experience in the sorrows that lie in front of us.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 2