Today's Scripture Reading (April 26, 2022): 1 Samuel 25
Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus, teaching in the
years following Jesus's
ministry (c.50-135 C.E), argued that "If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of
you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, 'He was ignorant
of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.'" It is
really good advice. I have learned from experience that you will never convince
people that their image of you is wrong, even if that is true. But instead of
getting hurt by the words, which admittedly is usually my path, we should accept
what people say about us while simultaneously reminding them that there is so
much more wrong with us than the things on which they have focused. In the
process, we take power away from our critics and make the act of criticizing us
a little less pleasurable.
And it is not just words; it is not just a philosophical
mindset. It is the truth. There are lots of things that are wrong with all of
us. The one who throws the rock is just as flawed as his target. Epictetus was
very careful not to teach a philosophy that was designed for the ivory tower.
This was a "where the rubber hits the road" philosophy intended to be
a way of life for his followers. It taught its followers to always react with
humility, recognizing that what others might do is beyond their control but also
reminding people that we can be responsible for our actions. What it is that we
do and how we react to the efforts of others are ultimately one of the few
things in life that we can control. We should walk humbly and continually
examine our actions in the light that we have, and in doing so, we just might
become better people.
Abigail was a woman of wealth and privilege. David was a poor
soldier on the run from the king. Nabal's, Abigail's husband, reaction to David's
men had been one that would have been common to those who possessed both wealth
and privilege. He believed that he was better than David. But Abigail chose a
different path. Rather than reacting with the pride of the privileged, she
humbled herself before this poor soldier on the run. Rather than making her
demands of David as a superior or even an equal, Abigail approaches David as
his humble servant. She doesn't try to command but instead makes her request,
placing herself in a vulnerable position in front of David. It must have been
quite a sight, one that stopped David and his comrades. They saw a beautiful
woman of power get off of her donkey and bow down to the ground in front of
David. And that was a moment that grabbed the attention of David and all of
those with him. And once she had caught their attention, David and his men were
willing to stop to hear her out.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 26
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