Location: Israel
Time: Circa 40 A.D.
Primary Scripture: Acts 26 — Paul’s testimony before King Agrippa and his court, where Bernice is present.
Princess Bernice stands at the window of her chamber in the palace, overlooking the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem below. The shouts of merchants, the clatter of horses, the cries of beggars—this is the kingdom she knows, with all its splendor and shadows. Today, however, her thoughts are not on the power she holds but on the words she heard from the prisoner Paul as he spoke before her brother, King Agrippa.
My Name Is Bernice:
Kings and kingdoms. How well I know them. Born into a house of power, I have seen the weight of crowns and the burden of thrones. I have felt the cold touch of influence and the relentless grip of ambition. In this world, kingdoms are built on conquests, secured by alliances, and sustained by the fear they instill. To be royal is to understand that power must be wielded and maintained, often at a great cost. But today, I find my thoughts straying from these earthly truths to the words of a man in chains, speaking boldly of another kingdom—one I cannot see but one that feels as real as the stones of this palace.
Paul spoke of the “good news,” the euangelion. It is a word I know well, carried by messengers who run across lands to proclaim the triumphs of new rulers or victories in battle. When a new king takes his throne, heralds shout to the world, commanding loyalty, demanding tribute. But Paul spoke of a king who requires neither armies nor tribute, a king who calls not for fear but for faith. He said, “The kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15). It is a proclamation, an invitation. But it is also a choice.
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