Ironically it is David, the youngest and smallest of Jesse's eight sons, the "sidekick" character, who has the audacity to challenge the fight with Goliath. Others from the Hebrew tribe, even those trained as part of the army, just sit around and look at each other. The story goes that Goliath has made this fateful challenge that only one of the Israelite army has to fight him, and to the victor goes the spoils. If this Philistine warrior wins, the Philistines get the land, but if any one of the Hebrew army wins the battle, the Philistines have given their word that they will retreat. It's a pretty good plan, I think. In fact it might be interesting today to have wars done the same way. It certainly saved a lot of bloodshed - but I bet it was scary for the Israelites to think of pitting any one of their men against this giant of a man. Goliath is certainly described with all the not-so-subtle nuances of a WWF wrestler. In fact, the description of his bulk and fighting power encompasses a good chunk of this chapter of the Bible.

"In this corner, we have Goliath - over 7 feet tall, weighing in at 354 pounds. All fighting power and with the latest in battle equipment, he has a bronze helmet for bashing in skulls, a 50 pound coat of mail to crush his opponents in any sort of body lock, bronze shin-guards, spears, javelins, and all kinds of weapons being carried by his shield-bearer. Folks, today, we've got a show and someone's not coming out of this one alive!"

As of late, these "gladiator" type competitions have inspired everything from Arnold Schwarzenegger movies to "Survivor" competitions among "real people." We're no different from the Roman audiences that were entertained by fights to the death and throwing people to the lions - with the exception that, today, we can make the show with special effects so that no one gets hurt outside of whatever detrimental effects there are for the viewer. We like to see strength battle strength. We are entertained by the emotional drama of the "reality" competitions. We cheer for the biggest and the best and hope that the wimps get what they deserve. But we forget that the battles portrayed in scripture often have a much different ending.

David would have more likely been a character from "Revenge of the Nerds" than from the latest and greatest American action film blockbuster. He was the little guy, the one sent to take food to his older brothers, the one who tended sheep - not the one who should get caught up in the drama of battle. But he got to the staging arena of this Israelite/Philistine stand-off and he became agitated, embarrassed that his own people were too chicken to fight the bad guys wanting to take over their hard-earned land.

It is at this point where we see the caped-crusader David emerge and some bystander shouts from the sidelines "Holy Chutzpah, David!" as he is the only one brazen enough to step forward to fight the evil giant. David, so totally full of himself, has the guts to come before the King and announces his genius plan for saving the Israelites just like he saves the sheep from wolves and lions. So even as the laughter rang out on their lips, they weren't amused for long, for his brothers, the King, and everyone else soon realized he was serious. Each and every soldier gathered by the side of that mountain stood quaking in their boots at Goliath's mammoth size, but David, scrawny David who couldn't even walk in the armor they gave him to wear was going into battle with him. It just wasn't fair. It just wasn't right. He was about to get squashed like a bug, and they could already see themselves losing all the land their ancestors had gone through so much to obtain.

But like any good "Batman" episode, we know that the "good guy" always prevails. It may look like the end for our super-hero, but just wait, tune in for the conclusion of this cliff hanger and find out that David does have a trick or five up his sleeve - five smooth stones to be exact and deadly serious aim with his slingshot. His chutzpah pays off. That cheeky courage that most people thought foolishness became the event that saved Israel from occupation by the Philistines.

The victory celebration, however, doesn't last for long. King Saul is not impressed. He's jealous and bitter that he's been shown up by someone younger who lacks experience as a soldier and who has no rightful connection to power. As people back home hear about the battle, the stories and legends about David become greater and more exciting than the stories about Saul's leadership as King. Therefore, he begins to plot against David, intending to kill him - but little does he believe that, one day, it will be David who will succeed him on the throne.

The multiple acts of power and bravado found in this story are indicative of some of the same ways we try to satiate power's appetite in our own time and place. There are still rulers like Saul who want to manipulate land and power from their islands of political authority. There are still "Goliath-like" armies that can threaten the "little guy" into submission. But, I wonder, are there David's willing to put their own hearts and courage on the line because it's what seems like the "right" thing to do? David summoned up all his strength and courage - primarily because he believed God was calling him into action in a wide sea of inaction. His courage or foolishness can be summed up best - I think - by the Yiddish word "chutzpah" whose definition can be found today on the front of your bulletin if it's an unfamiliar phrase. He had real guts in this case if nothing else. Perhaps he had fought wolves and lions away from his sheep, but to my knowledge, this is the first time he is matched with a human being - a really, big, strong fighting machine of a human being to be exact.

At times we are called toward similar acts of courage, to face up to the bully, to recognize the aggressor and humble our opponents' sense of an "easy win." God gifts us with an internal barometer to test our courage, and I believe that the reins of our human power are often pulled back or freed up according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I do trust that it was the Spirit who gifted David with an uncommon valor at that point in his life. In the midst of ridicule, he shone forth the light of God in felling the enemy. In the way that I imagine it - is the "underdog super-hero" quality of this story that still makes it one of the most popular for inclusion into Children's Bibles, and the like. Sometimes children need to hear the tale of a small and more or less insignificant person being able to overcome a big and very important person. It shows them their own will to be strong and have courage, and at that can be a good motivator.

But so we don't forget that this really is a very "ADULT" story of the national struggle for power, let's also remember that the flip side of true and pure courage is the ability to be aggressive or even violent in the face of an external threat. "Chutzpah" can quickly become a negative quality. Too much "chutzpah" and you become the bully that you intended to thwart. The way we use our power and courage of course makes all the difference. In this case of power used for a good outcome, David acts in such a way to protect the Hebrew nation. But later in David's own life, even after seeing Saul's despicable ruin by acts of power hungry revenge - he becomes an oppressor himself. He has a faithful soldier named Uriah killed in battle in a lusty plot to take his wife Bathsheba. And then later he witnesses his own sons in bloody struggle for succession to the throne. The lamenting tone of some of the Psalms reminds us that David was both fueled by and humbled by his power.

I can't say that I have all the answers to how we should or shouldn't wield the power that we have as individuals, as nations, or in today's world as part of the multi-national corporate structures that have become as intricate and as powerful as nations. As far as power goes, even poor Americans have more bestowed upon them than many other peoples of the world, and as a congregation of mostly middle-class Americans we need to remember that, relatively speaking, we sure have a lot. We may not always have direct influence towards our government, but we do have some. We may not have much influence in what powerful multi-national corporations say or do, but we have some, and we surely have "buying power." So what I do know is that the more power we have, the more potential we have for doing either good or evil. David found that out over the course of his life. We have choices to make every day within the scope of power and the circles of influence that are part of our lives. We need to consult daily with the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide us to know when to step out in an act of foolish defiance or when to swallow our pride and recognize that our own "chutzpah" has gotten out of control. Much more often, we are fearful to act as brazenly as David did rather than allow our power to run amuck, so I'd like to share one final reflection with you:

Marianne Williamson, in her book A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles reflects upon our deepest fear as human beings in relationship to this power. She says, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

So let us pray for God to bless us with true and blessed "holy chutzpah" so that our power may be used to lighten and ENLIGHTEN others in the name of Christ.