“You Just Don’t Get It!” A Kings’ TCM

“You Just Don’t Get It!

You Just Don’t Get It!”

My Former Client testifying

Most people “don’t get it”. Is it possible that a two sentence story dismissed for being too gory can be a pathway to enlightenment?

Long before Goldilocks and the Bears, there was Elisha and the Bears. While Goldilocks went to the forest and trespassed into the Bears’ home, Elisha’s bears came out of the forest to commit mayhem. While Goldilocks pilfered some porridge and took a nap on another’s bed, the young boys made fun of Elisha’s male pattern baldness. While Goldilocks survived, the young boys from Elisha’s tale suffered dismemberment and perhaps death.

Elisha’s Bears, in all its gory, is a great children’s tale. You just need to “get it”.

The story essentially begins with Elisha the Prophet assuming Elijah’s role. Elijah, in passing the baton, essentially grants Elisha a wish. Elisha requests that he have twice as much spirit as Elijah. 2 Kings 2:9.

After this encounter and the performance of one kind miracle, the following occurs:

“He [Elisha] went up from there to Beth-El. As he was going upon the road, some young lads came out from the city and mocked him, saying to him, “Go on up, Baldhead! Go on up, Baldhead!” He turned around at saw them and cursed them in the Name of the Lord. Two bears emerged from the forest and tore apart forty-two of the lads.” 2 Kings: 20:23-24.

Often, I have heard this tale retold to be that Elisha was insulted by some boys for being bald and the Prophet summoned bears to kill the boys.

To get this story, one needs to expand upon it to tap into its wisdom.

In the story, Elisha was a traveler or essentially a stranger. [Strangers are to be afforded hospitality] Elisha was headed to a city called the “House of God”. [If someone living in such a city acts immorally, is it an offense against God?]

The boys from the “House of God” went out from the city apparently for the purposes of mocking him. [What are the problems that can arise when a gang engages in harassment?]

Beyond the boys’ actions, Elisha’s actions are worthy of analysis. Elisha, who believed that he had special powers, evoked the Lord’s name in a curse. [Was this justiifed? Further, when someone has special powers, is there greater responsibility?]

Thus, this short story is packed with wonderful tooics for discussion. It touches on Sodom & Gemorrah’s hospitality toward strangers’ issues, the morality behind group activity, the morality of mockery and harassment, and both the notion and consequences of towards using the Lord’s name in vain.

In sum, Elisha and the Bears’ tale explores many issues. The violence of the story should not make it “too hot” to handle with respect to using it as a child’s tale. Rather, in light of it touching on hospitality, gang activity, harassment, acting under the guise of the Lord’s name and appreciating one’s power, one can say that the story is “just right”.

Be well!!

Please like, follow, comment and share.