2021-07-18 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Leadership and Compassion Today’s readings spoke to me of leadership and compassion, or rather, compassionate leadership. In one of his talks, theologian Diarmuid O'Murchu questioned why King David is held up as an icon and why the Gospel writers would want David as part of the genealogy of Jesus. David may have been a good shepherd boy, but as a king, he was a tyrant and he set in motion events that would 'destroy and scatter' God's people. For example, David had at least seven wives, not counting his concubines, yet he committed adultery the wife of one of his soldiers. Then to hide his adultery, he sent the soldier on a mission where David knew the outcome would be the soldier's death. David's lust is a metaphor for greed fueled by a loss of compassion. He has more than enough but he still wants more even if it means another must die. Today's first reading suggests that perhaps world leaders have like David tr...