We like heroes. In fact we need them. Until we see courage, determination and the will to win in human form the virtues are no more than phantoms. Nelson atop a column in Trafalgar Square has an immediate impact. Wellington is nowhere to be seen in the vicinity of nearby Waterloo station. His virtues remain phantasmal.
Heroes are found not only in townscapes; they inspire great works of literature. The Roman empire saw its valorous example in Virgil’s Aeneas. Later writers jostled to celebrate in similar fashion national heroes and the virtues they embodied. Tasso and Ariosto did so in Italy. Spenser and Milton did so in England. And way back in the days when England was finding its identity an unknown writer conceived his long poem about Beowulf, the heroic shoulder-wrencher.
The Bible has its heroes. They are not commemorated in the manner chosen by Virgil and a succession of epic poets. Rather, they are embedded in sagas (to use the word loosely) that form part of the Jewish scriptures. It might be said that they are incidental heroes. Foremost among them is David. David’s contest with Goliath has become part of our language stock.
The David and Goliath story is a fight against the odds. David is a mere stripling. Goliath, the nine-foot giant, is a seasoned warrior. But David has the confidence that comes from taking on lions and bears with his bare hands. Even more telling is the point that he claims the backing of the Lord of Hosts. And that is enough.
Unexpected reverses in sport (Crawley’s defeat of Leeds being the latest) have ensured that we never forget David. He was a hero. That makes him unlike the rest of us. He was also flawed, just like the rest of us. In the arena in which we all play our part we can see that good and evil, right and wrong, are not always a matter of black and white. Sometimes we have to choose between shades of grey. Whatever our choice we cannot afford to ignore courage, determination and the will to win. Michelangelo knew that when he carved his mighty David.
If you have a comment on this post please send an email to Revd John King at johnc.king@talktalk.net Edited extracts may be published. To forward this to a friend click on the chain icon below.