comments on 'David's Bathsheba'

i have received quite a lot of criticism from this piece and it has taken considerable courage for me to tuck it even in this corner of cyberspace. i have been accused of being too sentimental to the exclusion of the cold facts- notably David set out to commit pre- meditated adultery and the murder. my friends insist Bathsheba is the willing accomplice. the culture, inherent in many ancient societies of  a discrimination against women appears to have been played down in some senses in the marriage of David and Bathsheba but not before. considering the power of the king in those days(a concept which may be a bit hard to grasp for us modern folk who grew up without autocratic leadership), she was just another unfortunately beautiful woman carted off to the house of the King without so much as a 'by your leave'. i however beg to wish to set down simple, subtle observations and deductions and thus attempt to carve a path through a delicate and difficult topic.

a simple lust will seldom come so far down the annals of time. look closer at the roots of adultery and one can frequently just see a hint at the depths of soul- hunger, of vulnerability that can and would lead two people with everything to lose down a path where for any gain there were twice as weighty losses. look closer still  and you will see elements of friendship, affection, influence. carved in the heart of this poetic fictional illustration of moral errors and consequences is a warning. five years down the line, even ten, the woman you would need would not be the perfect face, but she should have in her heart the perfect sanctuary for your mind. you would do well to find her now(where she is today), and having found her, to choose her.

unfulfilled human desires are like a volcano calmly waiting to erupt. we must understand the importance of unflinching truth, in our dealings with God, our selves and other people. you must be true to what your true desires are- which involves a painstaking process of identification, definition and recognition. of course emotions certainly fuzzy up the edge of reason but true love is a consistent choice, not a feeling. these set desires must be communicated without ambiguity. it is expected that in a balanced, mutualistic relationship appropriate attempt will be made to grant the honour these requests. a commitment to accept another soul, to love, to hold should include a frequent re- evaluation in order to continue to maintain relevance. it is not enough to know where I was, you must know where I am now and see with me the paths that lead to where I wish to be. and though offences must still come, perhaps love will (choose) to make a way out, a way through, a way around or a way despite them...

postscript-

the title of the story has been altered slightly to 'Dovid's Bathsheva' to reflect it's historical lack of accuracy despite it's relationship to the Biblical story that was used as scaffold for the piece.