2 Samuel 18:18-22: a reflection

18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king’s valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name. It is called Absalom’s monument, to this day. 19Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me now run and carry the king news, how the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.” 20Joab said to him, “You must not be the bearer of news today, but you must carry news another day. But today you must carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.” 21Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen!” The Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran. 22Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, “But come what may, please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son, since you will have no reward for the news?”

Absalom, wanting to keep his name alive, had built a monument to himself; yet he is remembered chiefly for his rebellion, a reminder that no monument can secure a good name, which is shaped by how we live. Absalom in his lifetime had reared up for himself a pillar, the account notes, for he said, I have no son to keep my name in memory; and he called the pillar after his own name. Anxious that his name be remembered, Absalom built himself a monument. Yet what secured his place in memory was not the monument, but his life: he is remembered as the son who rebelled against his father the king. No pillar could give him a good name; his name was shaped by how he lived. This shows that no monument can secure a good name, which is shaped by how we live. No monument can secure a good name; how you live shapes your name. What you build for yourself cannot make your name good. The name you leave is shaped by your life, not your monuments. Seek to live well, not to build memorials to yourself.

Notice the irony of Absalom's monument. Anxious that his name not be forgotten, Absalom built himself a pillar, a monument to keep his name in memory. He did what many do in one form or another: sought to secure his own name, his own remembrance, by what he built for himself. And yet, what actually secured his place in memory was not the monument at all, but his life, and specifically his rebellion against his own father the king. The monument could not give him a good name; his name was shaped, and darkened, by how he had lived. This holds a sobering truth. We can be anxious about our name, our reputation, our remembrance, and seek to secure it by what we build, achieve, or leave behind, by monuments of one kind or another. But no monument can make our name good; the name we leave is shaped not by what we build for ourselves, but by how we actually live. A good name is the fruit of a good life, not of self-built memorials; and no amount of monument-building can secure a good name for a life poorly lived. This turns us from the anxious securing of our own name to the more important matter of living well. We do well to give our attention not to building monuments to secure our name, but to living well, from which alone a good name comes. Do not seek to secure your name by monuments; a good name comes from a good life. What you build for yourself cannot make your name good. Give your attention to living well, not to memorials to yourself. The name you leave is the fruit of how you live.

That is worth taking to heart, for no monument can secure a good name, which is shaped by how we live, as Absalom's monument could not save his name from his rebellion. We can seek to secure our name by what we build or leave behind; but Absalom, remembered for his rebellion, shows that no monument makes a name good. Live well. Do not seek to secure your name by monuments to yourself; give your attention to living well, from which alone a good name comes. Give your attention not to building monuments to secure your name but to living well, from which alone a good name comes, for no monument can make your name good, as Absalom, wanting to keep his name alive, had built a monument to himself, yet is remembered chiefly for his rebellion, a reminder that no monument can secure a good name; for anxious that his name be remembered Absalom built himself a pillar, saying he had no son to keep his name in memory and calling it after his own name, yet what secured his place in memory was not the monument but his life, since he is remembered as the son who rebelled against his father the king, so that no pillar could give him a good name and his name was shaped by how he lived, which holds a sobering truth, since we can be anxious about our name, reputation, and remembrance and seek to secure it by what we build, achieve, or leave behind, by monuments of one kind or another, but no monument can make our name good, the name we leave being shaped not by what we build for ourselves but by how we actually live, a good name being the fruit of a good life and not of self-built memorials, so that no amount of monument-building can secure a good name for a life poorly lived, which turns us from the anxious securing of our own name to the more important matter of living well, so that we do well to give our attention not to building monuments to secure our name but to living well.

Lord, Absalom, wanting to keep his name alive, had built a monument to himself; yet he is remembered chiefly for his rebellion, a reminder that no monument can secure a good name, which is shaped by how we live. Absalom in his lifetime had reared up for himself a pillar, the account notes, for he said, I have no son to keep my name in memory; and he called the pillar after his own name. Anxious that his name be remembered, Absalom built himself a monument. Yet what secured his place in memory was not the monument, but his life: he is remembered as the son who rebelled against his father the king. No pillar could give him a good name; his name was shaped by how he lived. Show me the irony of Absalom's monument. Anxious that his name not be forgotten, he built himself a pillar to keep his name in memory. He did what many do in one form or another: sought to secure his own name by what he built for himself. And yet, what actually secured his place in memory was not the monument, but his life, and specifically his rebellion against his own father. The monument could not give him a good name; his name was shaped, and darkened, by how he had lived. This holds a sobering truth. I can be anxious about my name, my reputation, my remembrance, and seek to secure it by what I build, achieve, or leave behind. But no monument can make my name good; the name I leave is shaped not by what I build for myself, but by how I actually live. A good name is the fruit of a good life, not of self-built memorials. Take that to my heart. Keep me from anxiously seeking to secure my name by monuments to myself; help me give my attention, Lord, to living well, from which alone a good name comes, remembering that the name I leave is the fruit of how I live, not of what I build.