The Gods of the Millennium - Daniel Berrigan

[Larry Robinson]

The Gods of the Millennium


The god of expectations made money like mad, made money like 

butter in a churn, poured it out like butter over popcorn, 

on the deserving and covetous alike. The god of expectations was 

blessed and applauded.

And that was a good year.

The god of approximations made the kingdom almost come. 

Granted, There were brush wars, small wars, minor contusions on

the world map. There were bombings on high and sanctions

against expendable children and a general mood of discontent

and 'Get the bustards'.

But still, by and large the sanctuaries were full and the

preachers preached and the collections came in and the

authorities sat straight in the front pews of the national

cathedral. The president entered the bully pulpit to intone an

infallible irrefutable doctrine of bloody tit for tat.

And that was a good year.

The god of contemplation made humans spin like spinning prayer

wheels. Seated on a bed of gold, like a lotus in its native

element, he intoned; you think therefore you are. Think, think.

So they thought and thought and they were and were.

And that was a good year.

The god of Christians staggered up a hill, dragging a plank of

wood heavy as a plowshare. Like a plowshare the plank made a

furrow; from the furrow sprang armed warriors, redundant lives,

talking skulls, disconsolate dragons, teeth on edge, followed

by a multitude of martyrs, clothed in their blood. A girl

named Cassandra brought up the rear, raving into the wind.

That procession? It was of small moment and went all but

unnoticed.

Except for this; with regard to money, war, bully pulpits and 

prayer wheels - that was a very bad year.

	- Daniel Berrigan
	   1922-2016
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