You may be familiar with Rembrandt's famous painting of Saul and David. Saul is in the foreground dressed in the turban and finery of an oriental potentate. His expression is sad and melancholy, a man in despair. He grips a spear, and something about his grasp on that weapon and the set of his jaw tells us that there is not only sadness here, but danger as well. In the background, almost hidden in the shadows, is David, with harp in hand. His task is to soothe the troubled king with his music, to drive out the evil spirits.(1) And it works. As the lesson has it, "...David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him."

These days we have our own evil spirits. Some are small and private and attack our egos or careers…