Dare to be Great.

Today 8th September is the 516th Anniversary of the unveiling of Michelangelo’s Statue of David in Florence. The 5.17 metre tall statue was sculptured by the hand of the 26year old Michelangelo after his bid for the commission. The marble is from Carrara a town in the Alps, perhaps the most famous of marbles.
David of course was a shepherd boy cum anointed King of Judah and Israel by Samuel. A runt of a boy plucked from the obscurity of shepherd boy who as youngest son is often despised by his many brothers. Famously while bringing packed lunches to them on the battle line he offers to fight Goliath and in desperation King Saul allows him. David sheds his armour clad offering preferring to fight only with his sling and chosen stones. From practice killing lions and bears with his sling David slays Goliath and with his sword takes off the Giant’s head.
David finds favour that day marries the King’s daughter as reward, befriends the King’s son Jonathan and as a Warrior becomes so popular causes King Saul to become jealous, that he is relentlessly pursued and goes on the run. We see the evil of jealousy manifest to obsession. David meantime survives becomes King then in lust sleeps with a married woman eventually birthing Solomon the author of Proverbs out of David the author of Psalms.
The legacy of David from his Father Jesse, his grandfather Obed and great grandfather Boaz whose own mother was Rahab a prostitute with faith who helped Joshua take Jericho. David’s line finds genealogy via Joseph to Jesus a 1000 years later. Michelangelo captures David with fine torso of the Warrior with sling some 2500 years later and then finds place in Florence. It is a masterpiece which I first saw on my honeymoon and was the inspiration of my wife’s book ‘ Dare to be Great ‘, an Italian best seller.
Both Michelangelo and David step out and offer to take on the job. They are not approached, they step in , step up and put themselves forward to do the job. They Dare to be Great and to solve the problem. Their boldness is their ticket, their confidence their strength and in both their lasting testimony. Both offer the life lesson, life will not visit you, you must visit life and see the problem then go for it. We win when we solve problems for others, victory comes through problem solving. Our preparation our practice in secret is where the hard work is done, not in sight but behind closed doors, doors that open as we step out and take out life’s Goliaths.
Let the Statue in Florence be an inspiration to you this day and unveil your gift that you have , using that which is in your hand today to solve the problem of another and in doing so Dare to be Great.