1 Samuel 21:1-6. David is running away from Saul who is trying to kill him. He goes to Ahimelech the priest for bread for himself and his men. Ahimelech is suspicious at first, but David tells him that he is on a mission from the king. The priest says he has no regular bread, only the bread of the Presence. He will give David the holy bread that is to be replaced that day if David's men have kept themselves from women. David answers him that his men are always kept from women while on expedition, and how much holier are they while on this special mission? So the priest gives David the holy bread for his men.

I have heard this story before, and have seen it dramatized on The Chosen, but I have never really thought about it too much. The lesson, as I understood it, is that we should not be so stuck on rules and procedure that we do not see the true good to be done in a situation, and even the holiest of things can and should be used to sustain and nourish men doing the will of God. This is good and right, but it bothers me a bit that David lies to the priest, who was already wary, by telling him that he's on a mission from the king. Does that lessen the holiness of David and his mission? Nothing in the story seems to imply that, and I have never heard it discussed. And, in truth, David is the rightful king, he has been anointed by Samuel, so maybe he is referring to himself here (but he surely knew that the priest would think that he was talking about Saul).

Perhaps I myself am being too strict with rules and procedures when reading it this way. Yesterday when picking up a prescription for my daughter, the computer prompted the pharmacist to ask me whether she had received her flu shot yet. I was caught off guard and said yes, just to avoid the conversation. I am very wary of all shots now that I've seen what they have done with the COVID shot, and I would rather just wait and see what the flu season is like before getting a flu shot for myself or my family. In fact, even if the season is bad, I would rather take precautions then get the shot. But clearly the same "hard sell" that was used with the COVID vaccines is now going to be applied to flu shots and other vaccines going forward. My off the cuff lie, though, has been weighing on my conscience. I do believe that it is never right to tell a lie. But maybe with this passage today God is telling me not to be so strict with myself. After all, my daughter has had a flu shot, just not this year's flu shot. Thus my "Yes" was more misleading than a lie.;)