An Extra Hundred Foreskins

May 6, 2009

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 18-19 and 1 Corinthians 16

What exactly is the opposite of minimalism? I am assuming you know the definition of this word or can at least use it in context.

For example, I have seen much artwork that seems minimalist to me. For example, a minimalist sculpture that was nothing but a cube. I’m sure it probably took quite a while to make a cube out of stone or whatever the heck it was made from. Also, there are cartoons that are minimalist like Batman the Animated Series or Samurai Jack. Again, I’m certain that these cartoons take a lot more time to make than it looks.

The thing about minimalism is that most of us live by it and don’t even know it. It’s too easy to live our life without truly living it to the fullest. Once we get the job that can provide for us, we usually stay at it, and don’t try anything more in life.

In other words, we minimize our life and don’t maximize it. Yeah, it doesn’t sound right to say maximize. Yet this is just what David did when Saul asked for a dowry for his daughter.

David was supposed to get one hundred foreskins. I can imagine that the process of getting those meant to kill the Philistine soldiers that they came from. That, or there are a lot of Philistines standing around going “ow, ow, ow” afterward.

Oh come on. Did you really expect me to read a verse about two hundred foreskins and not make some cheap crack about it? I mean, I haven’t had this much fun since Jael and Sisera.

The thing is David probably had 100 foreskins easily. I’m not really certain what made him decide to go after another one hundred. Maybe he just took on 200 soldiers, and figured that he might as well get some more.

In other words, I don’t know whether David went the extra mile, or if the extra mile went to him. The point is, David did more than he was required to do.

Considering that most of us don’t do the minimum of what we are supposed to do, it is good to know that some people aren’t satisfied with just the minimum.

What if everyone did this? Imagine if we gave more than we took. I couldn’t think of a better society.

Also, who was the person who counted the two hundred foreskins to make certain that they were all there. Maybe you could tell a sack of two hundred foreskins by looking. Yeah, I know that is sick. I just had to get another one in there.