P(e)ace all. An impromptu viewing of the 2009 film, "Notorious", just parallel parked alongside the day's posting of a Christian blog I enjoy including in my studies. As the Almighty would have it, that blog's theme of true vs. false friendship presented itself like a faith-based companion text to the audio-visual soundtrack for a very memorable slice of my young adulthood. The 2 Samuel 11-heavy story detailing the various lives King David and (otherwise married) Bathsheba's sexual improprieties affected, particularly her husband Uriah's, was actually the focus of at least two weeks on the Crosswalk.com site referenced above. The gradual exposition of the repentent but dangerously lustful king, the passive-aggressively adulterous wife and her soldier of a husband whose loyalty extended to them both after the God whose relationship therewith granted him an obedient integrity and insight that would not allow him to take the bait of leaving battle early to lay with his unlawfully pregnated wife led up to this teaching about the king's partner-in-war, Joab. While the decree to reward Uriah's sacred stubbornness with instructions to expose him to the most dangerous enemy fighters was solely David's, it was Joab who enforced it as opposed to having enough courage and conviction to stand righteous ground in support of an innocent man. As that entry's title states, "Joab Had Blood on His Hands, Too!"
Oddly enough, former friends and living hip-hop legends Biggie Smalls and Tupac met a somewhat similar fate of betrayal and murder which also involved (allegations of) adultery and other questionable associations along the way. Their songs "Who Shot Ya?" and "Hit 'Em Up" were respective and somewhat proximate expressions based on the times' over-the-counter fear (disguised as boiling testosterone) as well as the rift of confusion which targeted these people of influence quite possibly from the outside deep within to their inner selves.
It's amazing that the notion of (original) sin [ego in excess, which feeds various lusts] is so ancient, yet current enough to find itself in this movie and our daily news. When the dishonesty that often accompanies theft of character/romantic partners/resources such as energy-money-time or the like is at risk of revelation, beautiful bonds are often broken or at least bruised for a spell. Even the closest of friends lose it at times. Consider the news story of the Rutgers student who recently committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge as a result of the humiliation he possibly suffered by his college roommate and another classmate. The two who were considered friends or just people with intimate access to his private life were reported as having planted a secret camera in his dorm, capturing and exploiting footage of the student involved in illicit sexual acts. The importance of keeping a good internal environment and external company is amplified beyond the Bible into the spaces before and since.
Per the linked scripture, as God is Love, Truth & peace that passes our conditions and understanding, true friendship and personal satisfaction are both very possible with the Most High at the center. The relationship may involve the movement of Spirit just sweet enough to say "yes" to telling us "no" in due season, but people whose loyalties we don't have to question are real, even unconventionally in the face of set-ups and setbacks. Even now, I am feeling gratitude for the small circle I've loved for many years and directly entrusted with the dark & light in my life. Bearing this in mind and each other up, let's turn our attention away from the tendency to wonder who 'shot' at us evilly or commit the same violation to another. Instead, allow the fuel of those who really have our best interests at hand to help us drive that Divine Love over as much ground as possible.
T*
Oddly enough, former friends and living hip-hop legends Biggie Smalls and Tupac met a somewhat similar fate of betrayal and murder which also involved (allegations of) adultery and other questionable associations along the way. Their songs "Who Shot Ya?" and "Hit 'Em Up" were respective and somewhat proximate expressions based on the times' over-the-counter fear (disguised as boiling testosterone) as well as the rift of confusion which targeted these people of influence quite possibly from the outside deep within to their inner selves.
It's amazing that the notion of (original) sin [ego in excess, which feeds various lusts] is so ancient, yet current enough to find itself in this movie and our daily news. When the dishonesty that often accompanies theft of character/romantic partners/resources such as energy-money-time or the like is at risk of revelation, beautiful bonds are often broken or at least bruised for a spell. Even the closest of friends lose it at times. Consider the news story of the Rutgers student who recently committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge as a result of the humiliation he possibly suffered by his college roommate and another classmate. The two who were considered friends or just people with intimate access to his private life were reported as having planted a secret camera in his dorm, capturing and exploiting footage of the student involved in illicit sexual acts. The importance of keeping a good internal environment and external company is amplified beyond the Bible into the spaces before and since.
Per the linked scripture, as God is Love, Truth & peace that passes our conditions and understanding, true friendship and personal satisfaction are both very possible with the Most High at the center. The relationship may involve the movement of Spirit just sweet enough to say "yes" to telling us "no" in due season, but people whose loyalties we don't have to question are real, even unconventionally in the face of set-ups and setbacks. Even now, I am feeling gratitude for the small circle I've loved for many years and directly entrusted with the dark & light in my life. Bearing this in mind and each other up, let's turn our attention away from the tendency to wonder who 'shot' at us evilly or commit the same violation to another. Instead, allow the fuel of those who really have our best interests at hand to help us drive that Divine Love over as much ground as possible.
T*
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