I got some perspective on life this morning from this super video narrated by Francis Chan, who always gets me motivated and riled up for God. It goes through photos taken from distances from the earth using exponential powers of ten kilometers (10 km). How majestic and powerful is my Creator! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbaGg5xNjT8

David & Shimei

I am not going to say this the most eloquently, and it's not even a new idea. But I think it should be repeated and passed along like a story; in reality, the Bible is full of stories full of life. I was led recently to 2nd Samuel 16:5-14 to read "Shimei Curses David," this little story about King David being cursed and yelled at by a relative of Saul. This seemed on some small level to parallel a conflict I was having with a neighbor over parking in my complex. In the story, Shimei is a relative of Saul, the first king of Israel. He actually screams at David that he is a murderer and an evil man, then he throws stones at David. David could easily have responded by, well, *murdering* his opponent. How easily he could have said, "Murderer?! You want to see a murderer? Well I'll show you one..!" But he doesn't. In my "Shimei" story, I, like David, felt a check on my response. It is still unfolding and not a totally resolved situation, but as it moves towards resolution I see there is more at stake than anger, or even parking rights. The point is, I needed to be in the place of David, to show the power of the One I love by NOT throwing stones back. It's *hard*, but this is the direction I know it needs to go. There are some folks praying for me and I know I can do it. At the end of the passage it says "they arrived exhausted" and I see that. It occurs to me David is a "type of Christ" in theology language. David says "What are the sons of Zeruiah to me?" He refuses to let his companions judge this man. It's so strange in a way. The Son of David will later say "Let the man who is without sin cast the first stone" in response to people who want him to agree that a woman who has sinned needs to be stoned to death. There is some kind of parallel. Shimei was sent from the Lord. So are troubles sometimes.

I have been thinking about this kind of thing for a while. Keller says it really well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmTAotnklKI&feature=endscreen&NR=1 There's some deep insight here. Kierkegaard said some truths that addicts and those who have been wounded can understand. At root -- "Who do you belong to?" is the question. Grace is needed to get and keep the "approval" we want and actually seek from actions and achievement.