Sacred Violence
Today we have two stories, that although different, are both equally horrifying. In the story of David and Goliath, we hear how David will cut off Goliath’s head and how they will leave the bodies of the Philistine army for animals to scavenge, ‘so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.’[1] The Psalm also contains this theme of sacred violence as proof of God’s favour. This Psalm attributed to David portrays his cause as righteous with his enemies, who conveniently also happen to be God’s enemies. How do we look at these texts?