Samuel said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: he will take your sons and make them serve with chariots and horses...some he will assign to be commanders...others to make weapons of war...he will take the best of your fields and vineyards and give them to his officials and attendants...your servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use...you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all other nations, with a king to lead us and go out before us and fight our battles."   (1 Samuel:11-20)

Since that day, the relationship between God and his people has never been the same. The people chose to be ruled by a king instead of by Yahweh. Samuel tried to warn them, but to no avail. The people wanted to be "like all other nations". This is curious, considering how Israel thought of itself as God's Chosen People. God is upset, but yet he tells Samuel to give Israel a king, which he does in anointing Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Why does God accede to the request? He does so because he respects our free will, for good or for bad. Israel's elders make a choice, now they will live with their choice. Despite their disobedience, God will go along and make the best of it. He does the same with us. Despite our desire for other kings, God does not abandon us. We go after money, power, status, and worldly security. We trust in the State for security, the medical community for our well-being, and the entertainment industry for our happiness. We have turned our backs on prayer to God for our needs. We believe what we can touch and see; we doubt what we must believe by faith. We profess faith in God, but we really look to national security, social security, and retirement accounts for protection.

It seems likely that the Presidential election of 2008 will ultimately be decided by the selection of the candidate who the voters believe is most likely to protect and defend the U.S. Some candidates are running their campaigns almost solely on this premise. Add to this the promise of some candidates to provide national health care, and you have the complete package! Total security provided by the State!

Yet, polls and research suggest that Americans are more anxious than ever. Why? Maybe because deep down, we know that the security the state provides does not fulfill our need to be truly secure. It can't promise happiness. It can't promise a loving family life. It can't promise us that death will not finally destroy any and all security we have.

So what to do? Perhaps it's time for us to reverse the decision made long ago by our forefathers in faith, and say rather, "We do NOT want the state to run our lives. We do NOT want to be like all the other nations. We want God to lead us, and to go before us to fight our battles." Is this possible? It is, because God has truly not abandoned us. He is simply waiting for us to turn around and follow our true Lord. In the past, God did not reject those who called on his name, and he will not reject us if we do the same today.

Lord God, we yearn to have you lead us. We seek the wisdom only you can provide, to allow us to trust the only one who can truly make us secure. Give us the strength to reject the "kings" of the world, and to have enough faith to walk in your ways, instead of the ways of "all other nations". All the things of the earth will one day pass away, but you are eternal. Our only hope for life is in you. This is our choice. Give us the grace to make the right one. We ask this through your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Contributed by David
Sunday July 15, 2007
Liturgical Year C Week 33