25th January

In the presence of an uncontested boss

The ambition of political and religious bosses is to gather people together without considering the reason. A lot of times the group which is around a strong person breaks up when this person disappears!

David's story begins in a cave and ends on Israel's throne. In this cave he becomes a centre and a boss for the hopeless who are around him. There is no other selection than their misery. They are qualified by the following: They have used up every human resource (distress), they are in debts (which cannot be solved with respect to God), they have bitterness in their soul, in other words, they fear death, which gives a bitter aftertaste to the earthly and most sweet joys.

Each one of them who joined David found an answer to his personal need. David said to Abiathar: "You will be safe with me" (1 Samuel 22, 23). Bet even more than that: they are called to live a collective life. The only motivation is their attachment to the rejected king.

Is this not already in the Old Testament a nice foreshadow of the whole sufficiency in the name of Jesus Christ who gathers his people together? His promise: "I am among them" is for those who are satisfied with his presence, who acknowledge him as the only centre and who submit to his own authority.