Samson—A Complex Man

On Friday night, after I finished my final message on the life of Samson at Cannon Beach, a man came up and made what I thought was a profound observation. He said that Samson’s story fascinated him because it doesn’t fit neatly into our man-made categories. “When I read about a Bible character, I tend to put him into one of two categories. Either he is a good man who had some flaws, or he is a bad man who may have done some good things.” But of course Samson doesn’t quite fit either way. Though he is clearly a man of faith (Hebrews 11:32), he made so many mistakes, and he made them repeatedly, that it is hard to figure him out. The man added something helpful. “I like Samson’s story because he is a man like I am. My life is complex. Sometimes I am this way and sometimes I am that way.” I felt that was a very honest statement–about Samson, about his own spiritual journey, and I would add, it would be an honest statement about me as well.