So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones and flung dust at him — Shimei continues to curse and throw stones and dust as David's party moves along the road. The persistence of Shimei's opposition is marked: he will not stop, cannot be deterred. Yet David continues on, enduring the abuse without retaliation. The scene becomes ritualistic: David's suffering acceptance and Shimei's relentless cursing form a kind of dark liturgy.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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