By The Rev. Ted Pardoe
A young adult member of our family recently suggested that my wife and I take in the current movie “The Power of the Dog.” Brought it right up on Netflix and settled in for a viewing. We knew it was a Western film that is enjoying popular acclaim with numerous Oscar 2022 nominations. We also like one of the actors, Benedict Cumberbatch from his role as Sherlock Holmes in the miniseries “Sherlock.” Otherwise, we did not know much more about what we would encounter. Toward the end of the movie, we were surprised to see a young actor in a lead role reading a Bible.
It caught us both off guard. Needless to say, it warranted a google search soon after we finished taking in this excellent movie. Sure enough there was a major Bible reference right in the name of the movie. Perhaps it is “shame on me” as a priest for not immediately connecting the dots. “The Power of the Dog” is part of the 20th verse of Psalm 22. The 1st verse of Psalm 22 is perhaps the best-known lament among Christians; “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” begins this Psalm of lament. Jesus speaks these words as he is about to die on the Cross in the Gospels of Matthew (27:46) and Mark (15:34).
It has been a meaningful experience to take in the whole of Psalm 22 in a new light after seeing “The Power of the Dog.” If you search the world wide web you will find a healthy number of speculative pieces trying to pin down the meaning of the title phrase of the movie. It is good that people have taken notice and are reading Holy Scripture closely, something that should warm the heart of any priest or rabbi!
I have not detected any sort of consensus about a particular interpretation of “the power of the dog.” I like this. It is a good example of how many of us can read the Bible and come away with a wide variety of views about whatever passage we might be taking on. Having this sense of how wide open the Bible is to our interpretation makes me think of Peter Gomes the great Harvard minister, theologian and author who died in 2011. I heard him preach once at Grace Church New York City. He preached unapologetically for over forty minutes! It was a great sermon on Grace Church School Sunday.
There is a quote from his obituary that I keep nearby on my desk. “The Bible alone is the most dangerous thing I can think of,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “You need an ongoing context and a community of interpretation to keep the Bible current and to keep yourself honest. Forget the thought that the Bible is an absolute pronouncement.” My oh my do we ever need Bible study group conversations now.
Back to Psalm 22 and “the power of the dog.” The Psalm, as mentioned, is a Psalm of lament. It is readily divided into two parts, the complaint of the speaker in trouble and praise and thanksgiving after the resolution of the trouble. The 20th verse happens to fall in the former section of the Psalm. The speaker in trouble part. Which is likely why the evangelists Matthew and Mark put the words of the 1st verse of Psalm 22 into the mouth of Jesus on the Cross. There is another verse in Psalm 22 that also is included in Matthew’s crucifixion story. The 18th verse reads; “They divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” (Matthew 27:35) It may also be helpful to share the full 20th verse; “Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.”
In one internet article someone asked Jane Campion the director of “The Power of the Dog” what she was trying to say with the title. She told the interviewer; “As the title stands, it’s a kind of warning. The power of the dog is all those urges, all those deep, uncontrollable urges that can come and destroy us, you know?” Okay Jane.
As I tend to have my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ front and center, I take a view that “the power of the dog” simply means the pure evil thoughts and acts that so many directed at Him. However the joy of Easter Resurrection Sunday follows the horror of His death on the Cross. I am going to stop right here and invite anyone who would like to have a conversation about “The Power of the Dog” and Psalm 22 to contact me.
May those who choose to have a blessed holy season of Lent.
