Tuesday
Mar242009
Kings, part 2
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 12:51PM
Aland left a comment following my last entry about the NBC show Kings. He makes a good case for why it’s NOT worth watching. Take a moment and read it. Aland’s frustration makes sense. Kings co-opts the biblical account and twists it to its own ends. It turns the story into a reflection of 21st Century moral values and abandons those that are inconvenient or uncool. If I’m not misreading, I think Aland is lamenting a very real truth: Film and TV don’t understand evangelical Christianity. (There are possible exceptions to this--Walden Media and the “Tyler Perry Empire” among them.)
I’ll be watching with interest to see what they do with the “Jack” character. It’s possible that they’re not going to bother making him anything like the biblical Jonathan. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see what looks like a rivalry turn into a friendship between David and Jack. Characters develop.
Here’s why I’m going to keep watching Kings:
It’s entertaining. It would be disingenuous of me not to acknowledge that it’s just fun. It’s beautifully filmed. It’s dramatic. And there are some great cast members (Ian McShane as King Silas and Susanna Thompson as Queen Rose). I continue to love the scenes with the prophet, Reverend Samuel.
After watching episode 2, I’m actually thinking it’s more like Shakespeare than anything else--complete with two palace guards for clowns and a very King Lear-like scene where Silas stands on the palace roof while the rain pours down.
It’s (somewhat) biblical. While it will pick and choose, Kings does reflect some of the Bible’s ethics. The most prominent is the issue of power and what it does to us humans. The story of Silas/Saul is of a man who is corrupted by power. He takes what he wants by any means necessary. And once he has ascended to power, he will do anything to maintain his position. He refuses to acknowledge his dependence on God. He acts as though everything he has, he has gotten on his own. And, therefore, he is not to be bothered with what is right or wrong.
I’m assuming the same thing will happen with David Shepherd on the TV show. At least that’s what happens to the biblical David. He is just as good at abusing power as Saul is. The Bathsheba incident is the most prominent example. In addition, his family becomes a train wreck. Even his final words are of vengeance rather than of devotion to God.
In the TV show there's this quote from David Shepherd's mother that I love. She's explaining to the King's daughter why she hopes that David doesn't stay in Shiloh. She says that she knows that David has a destiny. Then she says:
There is good evidence that the David of the Bible dies old and unhappy.
I have to say, I’m no longer sure that David is supposed to be a role model for us--at least not in any carte blanche way. I love how his relationship with God endures his flaws. I love his honesty in confession. I love his ability to maintain his respect for a corrupt king. But let’s be honest, the guy can be a real stinker. I actually love him less as a hero and more as a reminder of myself.
Maybe we make too much of this “man after God’s own heart” idea. Unless I’m missing some other example, this statement is made about David early on in his life and only as a comparison to the corruption of Saul. I wonder if the same thing can be said about him at the end of his life. It seems like, if you do, you have to qualify it significantly. Which is what ends up happening. After all, he may be a “man after God’s own heart,” but he’s not fit to build the temple, a house for that same God.
Whenever David is mentioned in the Christian scriptures, he is mentioned off-handedly as the author of a Psalm, or to make Jesus’ identity legitimate to the Jewish people, or (most importantly) as a foil for Jesus. The most common statement about him goes something like: “David was fine and everything, but he’s just rotting away in a tomb right now. Now let us show you how a real man/real King does it.” And then they point to Jesus.
It’s worth repeating. The true hero of scripture is God. All the rest have feet of clay.
But that’s why I like Kings. Hopefully (at least until NBC drops it), we’ll get to see our own humanity reflected back to us, for better and for worse. And, hopefully, they’ll continue to do it in a quality way.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
I’ll be watching with interest to see what they do with the “Jack” character. It’s possible that they’re not going to bother making him anything like the biblical Jonathan. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see what looks like a rivalry turn into a friendship between David and Jack. Characters develop.
Here’s why I’m going to keep watching Kings:
It’s entertaining. It would be disingenuous of me not to acknowledge that it’s just fun. It’s beautifully filmed. It’s dramatic. And there are some great cast members (Ian McShane as King Silas and Susanna Thompson as Queen Rose). I continue to love the scenes with the prophet, Reverend Samuel.
After watching episode 2, I’m actually thinking it’s more like Shakespeare than anything else--complete with two palace guards for clowns and a very King Lear-like scene where Silas stands on the palace roof while the rain pours down.
It’s (somewhat) biblical. While it will pick and choose, Kings does reflect some of the Bible’s ethics. The most prominent is the issue of power and what it does to us humans. The story of Silas/Saul is of a man who is corrupted by power. He takes what he wants by any means necessary. And once he has ascended to power, he will do anything to maintain his position. He refuses to acknowledge his dependence on God. He acts as though everything he has, he has gotten on his own. And, therefore, he is not to be bothered with what is right or wrong.
I’m assuming the same thing will happen with David Shepherd on the TV show. At least that’s what happens to the biblical David. He is just as good at abusing power as Saul is. The Bathsheba incident is the most prominent example. In addition, his family becomes a train wreck. Even his final words are of vengeance rather than of devotion to God.
In the TV show there's this quote from David Shepherd's mother that I love. She's explaining to the King's daughter why she hopes that David doesn't stay in Shiloh. She says that she knows that David has a destiny. Then she says:
“People with destinies, things don't go well for them. They die old and unhappy, or young and unfinished."
There is good evidence that the David of the Bible dies old and unhappy.
I have to say, I’m no longer sure that David is supposed to be a role model for us--at least not in any carte blanche way. I love how his relationship with God endures his flaws. I love his honesty in confession. I love his ability to maintain his respect for a corrupt king. But let’s be honest, the guy can be a real stinker. I actually love him less as a hero and more as a reminder of myself.
Maybe we make too much of this “man after God’s own heart” idea. Unless I’m missing some other example, this statement is made about David early on in his life and only as a comparison to the corruption of Saul. I wonder if the same thing can be said about him at the end of his life. It seems like, if you do, you have to qualify it significantly. Which is what ends up happening. After all, he may be a “man after God’s own heart,” but he’s not fit to build the temple, a house for that same God.
Whenever David is mentioned in the Christian scriptures, he is mentioned off-handedly as the author of a Psalm, or to make Jesus’ identity legitimate to the Jewish people, or (most importantly) as a foil for Jesus. The most common statement about him goes something like: “David was fine and everything, but he’s just rotting away in a tomb right now. Now let us show you how a real man/real King does it.” And then they point to Jesus.
It’s worth repeating. The true hero of scripture is God. All the rest have feet of clay.
But that’s why I like Kings. Hopefully (at least until NBC drops it), we’ll get to see our own humanity reflected back to us, for better and for worse. And, hopefully, they’ll continue to do it in a quality way.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
tagged Bible, TV in Amen Corner, Blog
Bible, TV in Amen Corner, Blog
Reader Comments (3)
David may have made many mistakes and comparing him to Jesus in the examples given would be like saying of Obama .. "I knew Jack Kennedy and he's no Jack Kennedy".
David is best compared to his contemporary Saul because they were both chosen by God and anointed by Samuel as King. In the end Saul has rejected God and his offerings have become a political statement to the people and when he looks for spiritual insight he goes to see a witch. David on the other hand had problems and REPENTED just like God asks us to do when we sin. Read the Psalms (start with #51) to see why David was and continued to be a man after God's own heart.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+51
In the new testament? David did make "the list" of men and women of faith listed in Hebrews ...
`And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of DAVID and Samuel and the prophets ...all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.' [Hebrews 11.32,39,40 NKJV]
Perhaps I'm going too far in besmirching David's character. Like I said, there is much to admire about him. Specifically his daring faith as a young man. Also his ability to come clean in the wake of the Bathsheba fiasco and the integrity with which he deals with the ensuing collapse of his family. And his writings, wow. But there is much about him that leaves me scratching my head. Especially the last picture we get of him, instructing his son regarding the exacting of vengeance upon people who have slighted him.
In one sense it's perfectly understandable. I don't think an entire person's life should be characterized by their final moments (or any single moment). Who knows what David's condition was at the end? Perhaps I'm unduly vilifying him.
But I don't want to be overly complimentary. A person's life can't be captured in a slogan like "A man after God's own heart."
That Hebrews 11 passage makes a good point about faith and how people have been able to respond in a commendable way to the promises of God. But none of those people can be encapsulated by just that one description of them. They were all more than and less than "people of faith."
David is in some pretty admirable and pretty sketchy company there, being named just after Samson and Jephthah. I wouldn't give any of them the blanket designation of role model. I sure wouldn't want Samson watching my kids. And Jephthah made a foolish vow that led to him making a sacrifice of his own daughter.
Everyone I know is a significant mixture of successes and failures. I can only assume the same to be true of the people that I read about in the Bible.
The hard part is maintaining balance. Most of us tend to lurch to one side or the other. Many in Hollywood can only portray Christians as deluded hypocrites. The church of my upbringing was largely incapable of acknowledging that people (in or out of the Bible) were more than just villains or heroes. At different times of my life I have been and continue to be on both sides of that fence. It's hard for me to stay in the middle.
May God grant moderation.
I agree we need to see them as human. What is most cool about old testament heroes is the faith they had in a savior without having historical reference. They were looking forward not back!
David was careful to avoid the appearance of vengeance by not having those folks executed while he was still alive. On his death it was important for the new king to have a secure throne without folks around that could use the past to blackmail him. Politically I see it as just the opposite of the pardons that lame-duck Presidents often hand out as they leave office.
David was a warrior and as such it was easy for him to use a sword to fix a problem. Remember the cave with Saul - must have been a big temptation - I can just see the serpent whispering "This whole kingdom can be yours if only you will cut off the head of Saul. You know God has rejected him as king. The throne is yours. He's the impostor!"
My point is that bad ideas ran through David's head just like they do yours and mine and he often made wrong choices. Those choices had consequences that couldn't be avoided even with repentance. We can still learn a lot from these men and women of faith.
Wouldn't you like to have it said of you (in the scriptures no less and repeated in Acts of the New Testament) that you were a "man after God's own Heart" - specifically that you "would do what God want's him to do!" Pretty powerful in my book. Definitely make my resume!