March 21, 2011
Bully for You
The media picked up on a video clip of a reverse David vs. Goliath confrontation. A scrawny middle-school aged boy had a friend video tape his punching, slapping and bullying a peer that appears to be three times his size. The Goliath, who was backed up against the wall, dodged and deflected blows until he’d had enough. Looking like a participant in WWE, Goliath picked up the bully, body slammed him on the cement and turned away. Even though it was revealed that Goliath was often the target of bullies, a guest commentator on FOX news analyzed the video saying, “We should be teaching kids to turn the other cheek, not to take matters into their own hands.” My assessment is different and I found myself cheering for Goliath. More than a few times Goliath turned the other cheek. When retreat didn’t work and observers failed to intervene, he became strong, courageous and stood firm. Both boys were suspended, but I think it’s a small price to pay for exposing the up and coming school bully.
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4 comments:
Gail;
-----This was just one incident in a truly countless ocean of them that verifies how wicked this evil age is. If this age were not deeply wicked, the general character of man would rise closer to the stature of Christ. I can not think of one New Testament scripture which lifts up the role of self defense. Instead, I see the matter of turning the other cheek put forward. And in the sixth chapter of I Corinthians, Paul holds up a principle for being wronged and defrauded. Of course, it is of being wronged and defrauded rather than suing brethren in courts of non-believers. “I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no man among you wise enough to decide between members of the brotherhood, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?” (I Cor 6:5-7) Why not rather suffer a few punches?
-----In a social setting, either evil progresses or righteousness does. So if righteousness is to suffer a few punches, what pressure will be at work against evil? And if righteousness is the self’s proper consideration of others, how does the injury of another for protection of the self enter the definition? I saw others standing by and observing this bully’s assault. I would say this age would be less evil if they would have had enough love in their hearts to stop the bully themselves. Maybe the bully would have lit a first blow, but not a second one. And if righteousness were more systemic yet, they would have hauled the bully off to the principal’s office where he alone would have suffered punishment without suffering a great deal of damage. Righteousness would have progressed.
-----But this age is more evil than that. Although it celebrates, euphemizes, and rewards such behavior, it does not teach and call the public to it. Goliath found himself in a setting so lacking of righteousness that he had to place his own well being above that of another to avoid a greater loss. Yet that is only one of two assumptions about his motivation behind the body slam (probably the more realistic assumption.) I would hope Goliath was willing to suffer his own loss, but not willing to allow this bully to run unfettered amongst others. Moreover, a good bodily-injuring slam possibly effecting a character building lesson to the bully is in its own way a bit loving. In a situation where righteousness is lacking so much that a victim must fend for his self, there is still plenty of room for love to enter actions which appear upon the surface to be only in self defense. So the bandy rooster of a bully’s encounter with concrete did produce some positive social effects. Whether or not they were from any such loving motivations, and since nobody can be perfectly righteous, pat Goliath on the back for those effects. Righteousness progressed, anyway.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
There's a parallel to the US "superpower" being attacked again and again by terrorists (who usually have small armies) and finally it has enough and fights back.
dmarks,
Good observation!
Gail
We had an incident a few years ago where the Goliath picked up the troglite and dropped him in the dumpster. I wanted to honor him but the school is too politically correct about bullying to go along.
Grace and Peace
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