For my brother is an hairy man…Genesis 27:11

I asked my kids what they learned in Sunday School today.

“We discussed the youth service,” said the 16 year old whose class will shortly lead a worship service for the congregation.

“Healthy relationships,” said the 14 year old.

“We finally finished Exodus and now we’re doing the Book of Judges!” said the 11 year old who is reading through the Bible in a year in her class.

“And what are you learning about in Judges?”

“We talked about Samson…”

“Hey,” I interrupted, “Remind me…how did Delilah get Samson to cut his hair?”

“He was a Nazarite so he was never supposed to cut his hair, but the Philistines each paid Delilah 1100 shekels to get him to cut it…”

“Yes, but how did she actually get him to cut it?” I pressed.

“Well, she kept asking him to, and basically he got tired of her nagging…”

(I’m not sure, but that slight misinterpretation of the story just might be related to the fact that I’d been nagging suggesting that all three men in my household cut their hair this weekend).

The 14 year old snorted with undisguised contempt for Samson’s deficiency of will and said, “It’s like Esau selling his birthright for a bowl of stew!”

His little sister piped up, “Yeah! I mean lentil soup is pretty good, but seriously?!”

Relishing the absurdity of it all, she concluded, “And he was really hairy so Jacob had to trick their blind dad into thinking he was his brother by putting a shag rug over his arm!”