Who Would You Walk a Thousand Miles With?

One of my favorite weblogs "The Art of Manliness" is running a contest for a pair of Wolverine 1,000 Mile Boots. Brett and Kate ask the question "What man, real or fictional, would you like to walk a thousand miles with. A bunch of possiblilities immediately jumped into my mind.  My own Dad took a powder on us when I was 5 and he was not much of a role model for me. I wound up choosing characters from books as my models of how to be a man. But to choose one in that vast crowd was tough. Of course, Jesus is always at the top of such a list, but since he was more than a mere man, I figured he didn't quite count in this particular context.  Then, suddenly, I knew exactly who I wanted to travel with.

King David of Israel - Here's why.

You remember the story of David and Goliath?  Everyone was too afraid the giant warrior, Goliath, but here's this teenage kid who volunteers without hesitation, convinced that God would protect him.  He even turned down a free suit of armor, preferring to take the giant on wearing sandals and a loincloth.  On the way to the fight, David stops by a dry streambed and picks up five smooth stones for his sling.

This is what makes him a man's man in my opinion -- the reason he picked up exactly five stones.

So, why five? Well, in those times, it was tradition in that part of the world that if you killed someone, his family had the right to take a run at you and kill you. Well Goliath of Gath had 4 giant brothers.

David took one rock for each of 'em, just in case they all decided to take a run at him that same day. As it was, David and his men eventually had to dispatch all four brothers before they quit coming after him. Talk about guts, that kid had 'em.

Another time, King Saul was hunting David, believing him to be a dangerous rival and intending to kill him. Along the trail, Saul stepped into a cave to relieve himself, not knowing David and his men were hiding there. While Saul was taking a tinkle, David whacked off the tail of his cloak with a very sharp knife. When Saul stepped out of the cave, David followed him out and called to him, holding up the fragment of cloak so Saul could see it.


"I could have killed you, but I did not," David told him. "I am not your enemy." Saul was so shamed by David's courage and his mercy that he went back home and left David to go his way in peace.

David was a man of courage, a man of honor and a man of faith. He made big mistakes in his life, there is no doubt, but he always had the guts to admit when he was wrong in front of God and everybody.

I would be proud to walk a thousand miles at the side of such a man.

Tom King - Tyler, TX