King of the World

By Pastor Christian on 2/16/10

In the movie Titanic, little Jack Dawson climbs onto the bow, and with one spindly arm raised and hair blowing in the wind declares, “I am the King of the World!” While in fact, he was a poor immigrant with little hope and a short future.

But in 1000 BC, David was climbing to the top like a true the King of the World. After 30-years of serious hardship, everything was finally going right. He could not lose. The writer actually has to take five chapters out just to briefly encapsulate his numerous victories. During a relatively short period of time, he had become:

o The Kingdom Unifier
o A Military Hero
o Religious Leader
o Wealthy Landowner
o Humble Recipient of God’s Promises
o And Magnanimous King

There was really nothing else to add. He was succeeding in every facet of his life. His was the man. He must replace Jack Dawson at the head of the Titanic as the King of the world!

-Pause: funny mental image: David, Biblical robes and hair blowing in the wind: Internal giggle –

And then, from the top. . .he blows it – nearly to pieces.

And what interests me most, is that we are hardly surprised. We practically expect him to fall.

Why?

I suppose it’s because we have seen so many examples of the “great” come crashing down that we are seriously jaded. That is why news reports of deviant politicians, shamed pastors, and philandering sports stars hardly cause a moral flutter, rather just storm of voyeuristic interest.

But I wonder if it might go even deeper. Do you think that at a gut level we might know that Success is Inherently Dangerous? Are we afraid that if we are elevated above others with all of our internal weakness, we are at risk of falling?

Perhaps that is precisely why we cannot turn away when the mighty do fall, because it answers our worst suspicions. In that way, it’s like watching our own “potential accident” and simply confirms what we believe about everybody else – “see Icarus, you should have never flown so high. I knew that would happen. I could have told you so.”

But that raises an important question, should we not try to fly at all? Should we just admit our weakness, stay grounded, and only pursue a simple life? Well, for many, the answer is probably, “yes.” But for some, they must go ahead and climb onto the bow of the Titanic, seize the moment and declare the day. It is their place. Their victories are good. Their moment is in play.

Perhaps it is our job to support them and pray that they don’t fall off the stern and drown in the inky sea. . .

Christian

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