“Alas! the glory of Israel, Saul, slain upon your heights; how can the warriors have fallen!” The relationship of Saul and David was, well, complicated. David was Saul’s most successful general and because of that Saul looked on David as a threat, a rival. Several times Saul even tried to kill David. David, at least as the Biblical authors tell the story, always treated Saul with respect because “he was the Lord’s anointed.” David might have had a problem with Saul the person but Saul who held a position of honor before God deserved to be revered. At our baptism each of us became the “Lord’s anointed” when we were christened. We treat each other as worthy of respect because of our dignity before God.
