Every boy I knew growing up in the Midwest loved this story. We acted it out. We imagined ourselves as David, the shepherd boy, with nothing but a sling and a few smooth stones. Goliath represented for us every neighborhood bully who had ever picked on us. Of course, we only had dime-store slingshots. You know the kind where you pulled back the bungee cord-like launcher with the little patch in the middle and tried to nail your target. The idea that David pegged Goliath with nothing but a leather strap and a pouch you swirl in the air made the story all the more dramatic. However, the main reason we loved this tale was that we identified with David as the underdog, and better yet that God seemed to side with the underdog.

No wonder we saw this famous David and Goliath story as the ultimat…