… they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin … - 1 Chronicles 12:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 25, 2013): 1 Chronicles 12

In the relative short span of my life the map of our world was been significantly redrawn. I have a globe in my house that I have owned since I was in grade school. But the map in many areas the globe does not reflect current reality of our world. In many areas, especially in Eastern Europe and Asia the borders have changed – and when the borders have remained the same, the names have often changed. Ethnic groups that have been combined to form a single nation for generations have decided that there are more things that separate them then there are reasons to stay together.

It is not an argument that I am unfamiliar with. I am a Canadian. And Canada remains in many ways a politically divided nation. The obvious division in the nation is along language lines. For those from multi lingual cultures, the fact that Canada is divided along English and French lines might seem to be ridiculous. But the cultural differences go much deeper than just language. But that is not the only division in Canada. There is also an East – West divide in the nation. This is a cultural divide, but it is also a monetary one. During the last half century it has been a discussion between the resource rich west, the politically and human resource rich central region, and the poorer eastern areas of the nation. Every once in a while it is the Western Separatists that raise their heads. But whether it is the French or the Western Separatist’s the question is always the same – what common ground do we have with Canada? Do we really have common goals that we are working towards?

It was the same question that Sheba the Benjamite asked the tribes of Israel late in the reign of David, what part do we have in David – what goals do we share with him? Or maybe – how are we similar to David? And because of the comments of Sheba, we are told that all of Israel rebelled against the king. The only soldiers that stood shoulder to shoulder with David were the members of his own tribe – the descendants of Judah. But Chronicles indicates that for a number of Sheba’s relatives, that question had already been answered. The survival of the nation depended on Israel having the best king possible. And David knew that the survival of the nation depended on his having the best soldiers at his side – even if they were the former relatives of the king that had tried so hard to end his life.

I have to admit that I do worry when nations divide because they are somehow not able to settle their differences. If our goal is really a prosperous nation filled with strength, it would seem that that goal can only be fulfilled when diverse people groups come together to pursue a common objective. The demand that we all become carbon copies of each other only guarantees weakness. There is strength in diversity. And that was something that Sheba failed to understand, but that both David and his mighty men seemed to innately know.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 13