Best Friend Forever

David was the young boy who killed the giant Goliath with just a slingshot. This handsome young man played the harp and was a singer and songwriter. It is believed that many, if not most, of the Psalms were written by David. He lived in Israel under the reign of King Saul, whose eldest son and heir to the throne, Jonathan, was David's best friend. Jonathan and David had what David would later say was a love that surpassed even the love of women. Bro's before ho's, I guess the kids would call it.

The prophet Samuel was dispatched by God to anoint the next king of Israel. God was fed up with Saul and his transgressions, so Saul and his family would not be ruling Israel for much longer. Samuel went to the home of Jesse, who had several sons, David being the youngest. David was anointed as future king of Israel. It would be many years before he became king.

Saul hated David for this very reason, which is not at all surprising. He tried on any number of occasions to kill him or have him killed, but that didn't happen. Jonathan should have been envious of David and hated him, too, for after all David was going to take the place that was rightfully his. But he didn't hate him. As the years went by, they stuck together as best friends. BFF's, I guess the kids would call it. Jonathan even protected David from being killed by Saul many times. David had many opportunities to kill Saul, but he never did that, instead waiting for things to run their natural course. David was a great warrior, and the young women fell all over themselves as he walked down the street. They even wrote a song about him, "Saul has slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands." This blatant hero worship enraged Saul.

David and Jonathan were each married to women, many women in fact, because polygamy was the norm back then. They each had children as well. Fundamentalist and evangelical Christians who purport that homosexuality is a sinful choice tell us that their relationship was strictly platonic. Others speculate that it had homoerotic overtones, without any sex involved. There are those who believe that Jonathan and David were, in fact, the Bible's most visible gay couple. The writer Oscar Wilde stated this categorically. Who knows? Really, should any of us care?

It makes me sad that even today, men have to be careful with their men friends lest anyone think they are gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I believe people are born with a sexual orientation, that it is not a choice, and that gay people should be afforded all the rights and privileges that we straight people have always enjoyed. But really, are we so homophobic in our country that men must be hypervigilant to make sure they don't show too much affection to their guy friends? We women must be careful as well, but I think we have a little more leeway with hugging, kissing and touching than males do.

We seem to want to put all of our relationships in neat little compartments, when in fact many times there are blurred lines between our closest relationships. We also want to make love a competition, where we must choose who we love best and who we love most. I think when it's all said and done, love is love, no matter who we love or how we love them.

David became king when Saul was killed in battle. It was a great day for Israel, and it should have been a great day for David, too. But it was bittersweet, because his best friend Jonathan died on the battlefield that day beside his father. Jonathan had a disabled son whom David adopted after his friend's death, a way in which he could honor his fallen BFF.  Here is what David wrote about Jonathan.

O how the mighty heroes have fallen in battle
  Jonathan lies dead on the hills
How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan!
  O how much I loved you!
And your love for me was deep,
  Deeper than the love of women
O how the mighty heroes have fallen!
  Stripped of their weapons, they lie dead.

II Samuel 1:25-27, New Living Translation Bible

Susan

Best Job Ever

My younger son was updating my smart phone, and there was a security question. "What is your favorite job?" he read to me, his hands resting on the keyboard of his computer. "Oh!" I shouted with enthusiasm, and he was a little startled. "Mom! Being a mom is my favorite job." We both laughed. It's true. I have big dreams and big plans for me, before I leave this planet. But nothing I ever do could be as important or as fulfilling as being a mother.

I wanted to be a mother from the time I was around 21. I craved motherhood. I longed for children. I did not come to motherhood via the usual route. My two sons are my stepchildren. What a joy. What an honor. What a privilege to help raise these two wonderful young men to adulthood, and to continue to be a part of their lives. Being a mom was everything I had hoped for, and more.

In the sacred writings of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, you can read about a prophet and a seer named Samuel. He was a man of faith who made the lives of those around him better with his generosity and kindness. He was the last Judge of Israel, an influential but humble man who had a mother named Hannah.

Samuel almost never happened. Let me tell you the story. One of two wives at a time when polygamy was the norm, Hannah was infertile while the other wife had many sons and daughters. Nothing was understood about infertility back then. It was called being barren. Some thought God had shut up Hannah's womb. It was shameful to not have any children. Maybe a curse. Who knew?

Hannah wanted more than anything to have a child. She prayed continually to no avail. She bargained with God, promising that if she had a baby she would dedicate him to God. She would become so distraught over it that she couldn't eat. Her husband was hurt that she was hurting, and to tell the truth, his feelings were a little hurt. "I love you, Hannah," he would say. "You know you're my favorite wife. Isn't my love enough for you?" Honestly, it wasn't enough. I think some men (not all certainly, but some men) don't understand us women when it comes to children.

One day, Hannah was in the temple praying for a child. She was very emotional, yet no sound came out of her mouth, as her lips moved. The priest Eli, sure she was drunk, approached her and told her to leave. Being drunk in church. Disgusting. Then she poured out her heart to him, and Eli understood. He joined Hannah in prayer. She was soon calm and confident that she would have a baby. She even felt well enough to eat. Eli had not only heard her, but he understood her heart's desire.

Hannah went home and she conceived a child, a boy named Samuel, which means, "God has heard." Hannah was true to her promise. When Samuel was three years old, she took him to Eli and left him there to live so that he could receive his religious instruction. Hannah didn't regard Samuel as her possession. She allowed him to fulfill his destiny. She did everything she could to make sure this little boy would become everything he could be. She loved generously and unselfishly, and her son grew to be a man who blessed many people. She was happy to share Samuel with the world.

Women are rarely even called by name in ancient scripture, and very little is known about Hannah and what else she did with her life. But knowing what I know about her, I think just being known as Samuel's mother is enough for Hannah. More than enough.

Susan


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