Changing Perceptions

"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7

Malcolm Gladwell is a great author and thinker. His books have made people from all walks of life look at the world differently. But his latest book, "David and Goliath," did the same for him. When watching an interview, I was struck by the fact that the journey of telling this story inspired something in Gladwell.

In an interview with the Washington Post, he said, "I was so incredibly struck in writing these stories by the incredible power faith had in people’s lives, it has made a profound impact on me in my belief. That’s been the completely unexpected effect of writing this book. I am in the process of rediscovering my own faith again."

Needless to say I couldn't wait to dive into this book. I haven't finished yet, but it didn't take long for me to be struck by Gladwell's work, too. The idea behind the book is looking at our preconceived notions, or familiar thoughts on the world. Then they get turned upside down. He starts with the story of David and Goliath.

What struck me is how important this is for Christians. There is a point when all the stories in the Bible stop being new. We've heard them before. They become familiar. And the lessons we learned from the first reading become the first thing that jumps to our mind. While the stories might be familiar, it's important as Christians that the way we experience these Biblical texts never is.

When Gladwell broke down the narrative of David and Goliath, adding historical context, inference, and logic in understanding the true dynamic between the two and their fateful meeting on the field of battle, it forced me to consider the familiar text in a new way. It doesn't sap any of the power out of the story. It doesn't make God any less great. And it doesn't make David's victory any less meaningful. But it forces you to consider how it really was, instead of the cliche that it can sometimes become.

It is easy for the stories of the Bible and our faith to become routine. But that's not how it's meant to be, and it's not what God wants for us. He wants us to struggle, to keep seeking after him, to keep learning. To do that, we have to make the familiar new each day. Reading the David and Goliath narrative through a different lens did that for me.