Back in the day, I was known for dishing out some taunting in the course of sporting events.  I wasn’t a showboater - it was a strategic thing.  I did it quietly and personally, and directed it specifically at real weaknesses that I thought my opponents might be insecure about.  Despite the issues I now have with our sports and star-based obsessions in the US, there is much we can learn from sports (aside from the fact that Jim is a jerk).  It’s an undeniable fact that if you can rattle someone’s confidence, they will be far less effective than if they are competing with confidence and assurance.  And if I saw my opponent rattled, it raised my own confidence because I knew I could control his emotions, and thus, his performance.

Maybe that’s why I appreciate the occasional taunting in the bible.  Among my favorites (if you know the original interpretation - it is a bit too crass for most English interpreters) is when (I hope I’m getting the right prophet here) Elijah challenges the phophets of Baal to call on their respective God/gods to light their offering with a fire from heaven.  When the prophets of Baal are desperately calling out, cutting themselves, and clearly starting to fear failure, Elijah chimes in with, “maybe your god is busy, maybe he’s in the bathroom relieving himself.”  After Elijah showed God’s power, there is a reason Elijah could single-handedly grab a sword and kill them all.  They were beaten and Elijah (and God) made sure they knew they were beaten without any hope of victory.

But my hands down favorite is1 Corinthians 15:54-55:

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Death has no power over us.  God’s promises tell us emphatically that He orders our steps, that He is all-knowing and all powerful, and that He loves us.  And when we do die - as Paul said, it is only our gain.  I have a feeling that death thinks he’s a pretty bad dude.  But where is that sting?  If we truly had confidence that there was no sting in death, I can’t help but think how different our lives would look.  And how rattled (and less effective) the enemy would be.