In 1947 San Francisco’s Potrero Hill was not only a poor South City neighborhood, it was a real ghetto. That year was the year Oren was born. Rickets, a poverty-related disease actually caused by malnutrition, was Oren’s major problem. His vitamin-mineral deficient diet caused his bones to soften. His legs began to bow under the weight of his growing body. Even though the family was too poor to afford braces, Oren’s Mom refused to sit back, sigh, and resign herself to the inevitable. She rolled up her sleeves and took charge. She rigged up a homemade contraption in hopes of correcting her son’s pigeon-toed, bowlegged condition. How? By reversing his shoes! Right shoe, left foot; left shoe, right foot; plus and improvised metal bar across the shoe tops to keep his feet pointing straight. It didn’t work perfectly, but it was good enough to keep the boy on his feet and ultimately able to play with his buddies.
By the time he was about six years of age, his bones had hardened, his legs were still slightly bowed, his calves were unusually thin, and his head was disproportionately large. Nicknames from other kids followed him around: “Pencil-legs”, “Water-head”; but he refused to let all that hold him back. He compensated by acting tough. Street gangs on Potrero Hill were common: the Gladiators, Sheiks, Roman Gents, and Persian Warriors. By age thirteen, Oren had fought and won his way to being president of the Gladiators. For all the fighting, he was arrested only three times; that was the crowning achievement of his early youth.
Those who don’t know his background could easily think he got all the breaks. As they look at him today and see this fine and refined gentleman, they would assume he’s always been wealthy. He lives in the exclusive Brentwood district of Los Angeles, drives a luxurious car, and has his elegant office in an elite bank building. He is now a busy executive with his own production company. He personally handles most of his own financial affairs and business negotiations. He has contract with the media and various entertainment firms and agencies, in today’s terms, Oren has it made. That plush office with the name on the door belongs to Orenthal James Simpson. Yes, none other than “the Juice”, O.J. Simpson.
Everyday of our lives we run into giants. Giants come in various sizes and forms. They come in forms that are difficult to deal with. They show up as problems; uninvited problems. And let me say this to the young and old alike, you don’t have to be over 18 to qualify for giants in this life. Giants are equal opportunity party poopers.
Too many times we make the mistake in believing that young folks don’t have problems, or that they don’t face giants in their culture and world.
But they do. As a matter of fact the youth of today face things that some of us have never faced in life and probably will never face.
WAKE UP!
Times have changed.
• There used to be a time when Crack
was just a whole in the wall.
• There used to be a time when Coke
was just a soda in a red and white can.
• There used to be a time when Pot
was something to only cooked with.
• There used to be a time when Tricks were only performed by magicians, now we have our young women turning tricks for fast cash.
• There used to be a time when Flipping was only done by gymnasts, now we have our young men Flipping dimes for big dollars.
• There used to be a time when Sweets was something we went to Grandma’s house for.
• There used to be a time when young folks turned their music down by the Church House.
• There used to be a time when winos would hide their bottle when they passed by the Church House.
• There used to be a time when everybody in the community left their doors open.
I could go on and on, but my point is…
THINGS ARE NOT THE SAME!
THINGS HAVE CHANGED!
It seems as though the more years go by, the worse it gets.
Everywhere we turn we’re faced with another giant. Giants at school. Giants at home. We even have to deal with some giants in the Church. All around us are giants. If it ain’t one thing it’s another.
And when we look at David, this young shepherd boy, going to battle Goliath, things don’t look to good. In fact the situation looked almost hopeless.
And hopeless is how the Israelite army felt as they stared up at this 9-foot plus tall giant. And the giant wanted everybody to know that his defeats are many and his losses (well, there ain’t none). Goliath wanted everybody to know just how bad he was. His motto probably was “If you don’t know you better ask somebody!” Goliath’s intimidating stance and attitude beat the Israelite army before the battle had even begun.
And if the truth be told, a lot of us do the exact same thing: We allow the giant’s that we face in life to whoop us before the battle even gets started. A lot of us young and old alike have allowed our giants to defeat us.
• We’ve allowed the giants of peer pressures to whoop us
• We’ve allowed the giants of sex to whoop us
• We’ve allowed the giants of drugs to whoop us
• We’ve allowed the giants of exit exams and standardized tests whoop us
And these giants have convinced you that you ain’t got no power whatsoever.
I. Don’t allow your Giant to Paralyze You
(v24-25)
When David approached the camp, no one was fighting. All that the army of Israel was doing was looking in awe at the Giant; named Goliath. Because the text says that they were afraid. And when we are afraid of something or fear overwhelms us, it actually paralyzes us.
Think about it. When someone hides behind a door or a wall, and when you pass or get near to where they are, they jump out to scare you. At the moment when this person surprises you, before you take off running the opposite way, the very first ting you do is freeze from the shock. And the moment of surprise or freeze moment can be defined as paralysis.
And this is were the Israelite army is, they’re caught up in a state of shock. And when you’re caught off guard by something, it can really trip you out. And whenever you don’t have time to prepare or get ready for a particular thing, or when you go somewhere expecting on thing, but when you get there you’re surprised by something you didn’t expect, it kinda makes you feel like Tupac; “It’s me against the world.”
Well let me tell ya, I’ve been to some of the schools in this community and it doesn’t look good.
• I’ve seen the way Hip-Hop treats women,
and it doesn’t look good.
• I’ve seen how homelessness and addiction has affected our neighborhoods,
and it doesn’t look good.
• I’ve seen the way our young Black boys are treated by law enforcement,
and it doesn’t look good.
I’m trying to tell ya that the odds don’t look good for us.
• Drugs on the corner
• Guns in the schools
Young brothers, the odds are against you. The world says that 1 out of 5 of you will be dead before you graduate; if you graduate.
Young sisters, the odds are against you. The world says that 1 out of 5 of you will be referring to some boy as your baby daddy before you graduate, if you graduate.
David teaches a valuable lesson about how to overcome our paralysis. When David was faced with Giants in his life, he didn’t give up, or give in.
Which brings me to my next point: David allowed his God to propel him past paralysis.
II. Allow God to Propel You Past Paralysis
Q: How did David do this?
A: He drew on his past experiences
It’s been said that experience is the best teacher. Well, David’s experiences taught him a lot.
When David goes before Saul (v33-37) about this Giant, Saul begins to try to talk David out of fighting this Giant.
----Has this ever happened to you, whereas somebody sees you going through something and they try to talk you out of it.
----You know drugs are wrong, but somebody is always saying it ain’t that bad, go ahead and try
*Sex
*Cheating on a test
----Or better yet, somebody older than you says you don’t want to do such and such because I remember when I was a child, and when I put myself in that situation, I failed. If you want to succeed do it this way.
----Like your parents ever checked your homework and had you do it all over because short multiplication doesn’t show the work. You redo everything the long way and then get to school and not only did the teacher want you to do it the way they taught, but the way you did it all the answers were wrong. Tell your parents, “Thanks!”
Getting back, David was able to overcome because he drew off what he learned in his past experiences. Look at what David tells Saul (v34-37)
The only thing David had on his resume was a lion and a bear; 2 of the most ferocious animals in the wild. Young brothers and sisters, David brought hope into a hopeless situation. David says that the same God that delivered me from the bear and the lion will deliver me from this Giant. God delivered me in the past and I know He will do it again.
Whether you know it or not, we have a past that’s filled with God’s faithfulness, God’s mercy, and God’s goodness. Battling Giants ain’t nothing new. We’ve survived one of the worst forms of slavery known to mankind. And even today in 2004, we still have to deal with the trick mirror of racism, the glass ceilings or corporate America, low funding for schools in low income neighborhoods, affirmative action opposers, just to name a few. So don’t get comfortable because the Giants are still coming.
But I like how Celie ended her relationship with her Giant, “Mister” in the Color Purple. Mister told Celie (when she informed him that she’d be leaving with Shug Avery) that she was black, ugly, and nobody would ever want her. But Celie says to Mister: “I may be black, and I may even be ugly,
but I’m HERE!”
And folks, life has not been easy thus far.
But, WE’RE HERE!
• Not because we got it going on,
• Not because we are so fly ,
• Not because we’re so fresh and so clean,
but we’re still here
because God is faithful.
Let me throw this in for free:
Don’t allow your friends to stop you from doing what God has for you. Just because your friends don’t want to go the way your going, don’t you miss out on God’s best
Bernie Mack tells a story about a time when he went to court for a friend. (Elaborate)
Lastly,
1. After you realize that your Giant can’t paralyze you
2. And God has propelled you past your paralysis
III. Put a Whoopin On Your Giant (v45-46)
David in his nicest Christian tone says to Goliath: “I hate to tell you this, but today you about to get beat down. Yes, I heard all about your numerous wins, and I know all about your great power, but today you’re are going down.”
This story kinda reminds me of one of the very first WWF Wrestlemania’s. I can’t remember which one it was, but Andre “The Giant” and the Hulkster Hulk Hogan were pitted against each other as the headline match. Andre had been talking plenty of noise about what he was going to do to the Hulkster. And when they locked horns it was on. But let me tell ya. Something happened to Andre “the Giant” that had never happened before: Hulk Hogan picked this man up, and body slammed him.
Yes, the odds were stacked up against Hogan:
• Andre “the Giant was twice his size
• Andre “the Giant” was twice his weight
• Andre “the Giant” had never been beaten by anyone in the World Wrestling Federation
