“He trains my hands for war; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.“ (2 Samuel 22:35HCSB) |
of Michelangelo and hands
On any day in Florence, Italy, one observes a long line of people waiting to go inside and see Michelangelo’s masterpiece called “The David.” This brilliant sculpture seems to breathe and live. It embodies all the great humanist qualities prized by Michelangelo and his age. It is larger than life in both general and specific ways. For example, the hands are twice the proper size for the statue. The master crafted them that way on purpose because supersized hands fit his big message: that mankind is the triumphant controller of all. In many world cultures, the hand represents the seat of power. Thus the statue boldly proclaims that the ideal human is in charge of all. He is lord of all he surveys with those piercing eyes. David – the real one of the Bible – would strongly disagree with Michelangelo’s message. He counters by saying that his hands are only great because of God’s training. It is YHWH who rules as Lord. David even wrote that he could not live were not God’s hand shading him. Further, David’s hands [and by extension his life] are only useful and powerful when they are trained by God. Thanks to that training, David becomes a great warrior. He smashes God’s opponents. He is victorious, but only because of the Lord’s blessing through His training. of Duffield and arms In contrast to his disagreement with Michelangelo, David appears to completely concur with the Apostle Paul, purveyor of a more nuanced humanism. Paul taught that we dare not trust our own flesh – our immaterial nature tainted by sin. Paul teaches that humans are wonderful, yet must find their strength and direction in the Lord alone. Considering David’s and Paul’s ethic, a pastor named George Duffield would make an artistic contribution of his own. This one would center on the arm rather than the hand. Below is the story as it appeared on the site http://wordwisehymns.com:
I pray that we become great warriors in the Lord. It can’t be achieved Michelangelo’s way – by exalting our own human power and throwing a biblical name on it. The only way to victory is that expounded by David, Paul, and Rev. Duffield. Stand in God’s strength alone. |