Set down the armor of Saul
Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, Why have you come out to draw up for battle?
Then Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword over his armor. Then he tried to go, but could not, for he was not used to it. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I am not used to them. And David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in his shepherd’s [lunch] bag [a whole kid’s skin slung from his shoulder], in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near the Philistine. 1 Sam 17.8a, 38-40 (AMP)
We strive, yet it seems we are outnumbered and under-equipped for our task. (Why have we come out onto this field?)
And, we look forward to future events.
This seems a paradox.
Yet, we believe the effort is worthwhile, and our belief not senseless. It is derived from knowing we have disproportionate prospects for success. Not better than even odds, perhaps, but a prospect of success that is disproportionate to the assessment you’d make of our position.
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Strategy:
- We choose the wrong son(s). Whoever does not dwell in darkness may do.
- We don’t look at appearances (use the armor that everyone else is used to).
Or, you might say that we don’t ex ante limit our degrees of freedom.
- We keep our weapons (hidden) in our lunch pail … four more after the first.
Pretty prosaic delivery system … might even be carried down that road by a Samaritan.
Thomas V. Jahl, Headmaster, Cono Christian School
Notes:
Ivan Arreguin-Toft, How the Weak Win Wars: A Theory of Asymmetric Conflict, Cambridge University Press (2005)
Tim Keller, Ministries of Mercy, P&R Publishing (1997)
Doug Thomas, Walter Enloe, Ron Newell (eds.), The Coolest School in America, ScarecrowEducation (2005)