Blind and bound, Samson stands in the temple of Dagon. Thousands of Philistine lords pack the rafters above him, roaring with mockery. They have gouged out his eyes and chained him like a beast, parading the destroyer of their armies for sport. But they have made a lethal miscalculation. His hair, the mark of his Nazarite vow, has begun to grow back. Guided by a boy to the temple's central pillars, Samson reaches out. He plants his hands against the two load bearing columns that hold the massive structure upright. Then he calls out to heaven.
Samson does not ask to escape. He asks God for strength to die and make the Philistines pay for his two gouged eyes. His prayer marks a raw return to dependence on God after a life of reckless ambition. Centuries later, the Apostle Paul lists Samson among the heroes who through faith subdued kingdoms and waxed valiant in fight.
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