1 Samuel 6:1-16
I like weird things, but if I’m on your Christmas list, I’m alright without golden figurines of mice and hemorrhoids. If you insist, maybe one of the two; but both are overkill.
On one level our story today is a funny one, at least to our contemporary tastes. On the other hand, the fate of the Ark of the Covenant is no small issue. Something we might take from this tale, and 1 and 2 Samuel in general, is that the people are the main actors. We enter into the stories from their perspectives. In our story today, for instance, God is remote and mysterious, accessible only through the speculations of the diviners. Similarly, when the Ark is returned, we experience it from the perspective of the people of Beth-shemesh.
This person-focussed orientation is not rare in scripture. And maybe this will help us to understand salvation history and our own spiritual journeys. God doesn’t always appear in a burning bush. Instead, sometimes we grapple to understand our circumstances and how God is present in our lives. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith (or several leaps). Sometimes God’s guidance and action in our personal and collective stories might only be discerned when looking back on our lives, and through the sharing of our stories with others.
- Matthew Kieswetter
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