FHForward is honored to walk with many believing, deeply spiritual members. We are also honored to have the trust of those who have been hurt in their faith spaces or those who may not identify as believers in a particular religion. While faith is a deeply personal, individual journey, we firmly hold that our mission is not only centering and inspiring but fully aligned with a range of holy scriptures. This faith message comes from the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, text considered holy by Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike.
King David is a dynamic figure for each of these faiths, considered by each to be a great king chosen by God for the throne. King David is the same David who conquers Goliath, the youngest and slightest of his brothers and the subject of Divine admonition that God "looketh on the heart," instead of with the eyes of man (1 Samuel 16:7, 12-13). But for Christians and Jews, the record of David is also one of a flawed, complex man.
Though David seeks to serve God, he also knows the barbarism of war and gives in to temptation when he lusts after Bathsheba, even sending her husband, Uriah, to war to be killed in battle.* But the record of David does not end here. The reader is a witness to the subsequent consequences, loss, and challenges David experiences throughout his rule.
Significant lessons from David's life are found in 2 Samuel 12, where we find the counsel of the Prophet Nathan, who offers the king the beautiful Parable of the Ewe Lamb. The parable tells of two men from the same city. One is a man of humble circumstance who nurtures and raises his only lamb with such great care and love, the scriptures say it was like his daughter. By contrast, the other is a rich man with "exceeding many flocks and herds." Despite his abundant resources, when the rich man is visited by a traveler, he provides dinner for his guest with the only ewe lamb of his poor neighbor. When Nathan finishes this tale, David demands to know the offender, asserting that the loss should be repaid fourfold. Nathan's reply? "Thou art the man," he states unflinchingly. He then details David's wrongs. Many rulers in scripture were not receptive to challenges like these, but David, a powerful ruler, admits humbly, "I have sinned against the Lord."
What does all this have to do with current issues in education? We can see that great, wise leaders make terrible mistakes which our Maker and the scriptures do not condone. We can recognize Nathan as an advocate who spoke truth to power and David as a leader who received him. The account provides evidence of a God who expects us to understand our own positions of privilege and to avoid similar abuses of power.
There are some who say that teaching white children about great leaders who participated in horrific abuses of power and privilege will cause them to have an unhealthy, negative perception of their heritage. But if the holy text is any kind of model, we see the value of studying flawed heroes. Like Nathan, the prophet, many have lived who spoke truth to power, who advocated for justice, and who overcame incredible social pressure to act otherwise. It is neither unrighteous nor unpatriotic to consider ways in which this mighty nation rose to power through the talents and skilled labor of those who worked unpaid or underpaid for no other reason than social hierarchy (predominantly racial but also ethnic and patriarchal).
When we look closely at this scriptural account, we understand that God does not ask us to gloss over stories of lived experience, of discrimination, or pain. Like David, we can lean into the discomfort of the truths our community members of color, LGBTQ citizens, and other marginalized groups are sharing with us. Like David, we can do this without looking to excuse or justify the harm our systems or our own actions have caused and state honestly that the errors of the past are impacting our present.
We can also have confidence in educators who ask our youth to consider significant historical figures as complex characters with flaws or help them see the humanity in classmates whose gender identities may be confusing to them. We can offer developmentally appropriate opportunities for students to consider their history from a variety of angles. This kind of reflection is not a dangerous or damaging exercise, but a gift which can prepare them as future leaders who will approach their roles from a position of humility, truth, and wisdom.
*Please note: Islamic leaders maintain that David did not succumb to temptation, believing that David was both a King and a prophet who was righteous without fail.