REVELATIONS ON THE RIVER

An entrepreneur and strategist considers this time of turmoil and what lessons can be drawn from it.

Riversides are good places to court spiritual truths, and Dowd, former chief political analyst for ABC News, delivers 10 of his own discoveries uncovered along the banks of the Blanco in central Texas. After working for numerous Republicans, including George W. Bush, Dowd switched over to the Democratic Party and recently announced a run for lieutenant governor of his troubled state. The author touches lightly on political themes, condemning the Jan. 6 insurrection, “where the chambers were taken over by an armed mob and people killed.” He also observes that during his time at ABC, he regularly received death threats “because of my criticisms of the past administration.” Of the tribe that would commit such acts, Dowd tries to be understanding, if not forgiving, but it’s clear where his sympathies lie. In a homiletic moment, he urges, “Let us turn this ends-justify-the-means approach 180 degrees on its head and move toward a means-justify-the-ends way of life.” The author writes from a Catholic position, though with just as strong an ecumenical streak, quoting Buddhist thought, Kahlil Gibran, and the Quran. Love reigns supreme throughout his examination of major themes, including trauma, the division between religion and science, and the interconnection of all people. Dowd takes a New Age–meets–Star Wars turn when he writes that love “is the strongest energy operating in the universe,” but for those worrying about whether God is really love, his assurances are quiet but insistent. Usefully for those beset by worry in the first place, the author counsels that “trauma and fears often hold us back from being our best self” and then offers actual concrete actions to hold those fears at bay.

For people of faith, a thoughtful exercise in soulcraft.