The Kings and Their Gods

Time is fleeting for many of our beloved seniors. Graduation is this Sunday. It is a time of anxiety and excitement, tears and hugs. It is certainly difficult to bid adieu to our loved ones: those with whom we have formed close, intimate relationships. But, this is nothing new to many of us: life is filled with hellos and goodbyes. And so we need to embrace our time with our seniors while we have them. Me? I’ll be around for another year or so. So, what’s new? I’ve been working on a book review for Word and World. I’ve been having a lot of fun with this. Daniel Berrigan’s The Kings and Their Gods: A Pathology of Power is the book – and it’s like nothing else that I’ve ever read. How? The book reads like poetry, but is a commentary on biblical kings. Berrigan makes clear the connections between the kings of old and our leaders today. You definitely feel guilty after reading it. But—for lay reader, clergyman, or preacher alike I believe that this book will be especially helpful. After all, the “Deuteronomistic History” (Josh, Jdgs, 1 and 2 Sam, 1 and 2 Kgs) arouses all kinds of problems with which your congregants may be concerned (war, violence, the degradation of women, power struggles). These problems are very much real and alive today. So, if you can get past the thickness of Berrigan’s “shame on you” game – you’ll enjoy the book (and you might learn something about yourself in the process). Well, it’s keeping me busy and I better get back to it. I’ve got a lot of reading (and writing) to do. I wish you all a wonderful evening.

-Dan