Countless commentaries have been written on the parables of Jesus. Megan McKenna's Parables: The Arrows of God is one of the best. She understands how radical these stories were with their grounding in the commonplace and their calls to action.

McKenna, author of Not Counting Women and Children, views the parables of Jesus as "arrows of God" pointing toward the Kingdom. Here she discusses the stories of the prodigal son, the talents, the hidden treasure, the lost sheep, the laborers in the field, the seed falling on different soil, and the good Samaritan.

The author broadens her discussion of the parables with anecdotes, tales, and stories from Jewish, Sufi, and Hindu traditions. This imaginative strategy has a great payoff — we are challenged to think even more deeply about how our relationship with God is connected to others. It helps us see more vividly how the coming of the Kingdom has little to do with our agendas or security. And it throws in bold relief how God's generosity can animate our compassion.

Megan McKenna has delivered a big surprise to those of us who thought there was nothing fresh left to say about the parables of Jesus. These essays are bold, radical, and renewing. Best of all, McKenna's spin-off parables from other religious traditions will feed your soul for years to come.