| The Church of the South Pacific |
Daneiel 7:9-10, 13-14 Wrote:9 “As I looked, Today is the Sunday which, in the Church of England calendar, is known as ‘Christ the King’ or, in the Roman Catholic tradition, ‘the Feast of Christ the King’. In secular terms, it is just any other Sunday. There’s no holiday celebrating it, nor will the shops open to dramatic sales tomorrow (save for those still running Black Friday deals). In church terms, however, it is the end of the liturgical calendar and, spiritually, it is an opportunity, often overlooked to marvel in the majesty of Christ’s kingship. The passage I picked out of today’s lectionary readings is ideal for this purpose. Though the imagery may feel antiquated or obscure - perhaps even quaint - it is a rich tapestry of symbols proclaiming the power, purity and perfection of the Almighty and it is appended, in verses 14 and 15 with that language passing on to ‘one like a son of man’ - one distinct from Yahweh on the throne and yet given the everlasting authority, glory and sovereign power that could only be ascribed to God. Here is a thoroughly Jewish image of the coming Messiah - the Christ - which nevertheless resonates with the imagery of texts written centuries later after Jesus’ earthly ministry was completed. This lowly man, a carpenter-cum-itinerant preacher, who died a criminal’s death, was being attributed the glory and majesty of the creator of Heaven and Earth and still is, some two thousand years later. There is something incredible about that and, though our relationship with him is always going to be one of belief - do we really believe he is who he said he was? - still, we are all rendered somewhat incredulous before such eternal, heavenly imagery. And I believe that that is only right and proper. For all that we are encouraged to be close to this Jesus, to live with him inside us and know him as our a friend and saviour, still we must be aware of the holiness - the otherness - of God the son and it is, perhaps, in the image of Christ as King over all creation that we most get this sense of remarkable scale - of wonder and majesty. It is an image that we need to bear with us in the mundanities of life, in the low moments, in the moments when we might take Christ for granted or fail to give God his due. It is an image that lifts Christ up to where he truly belongs, but it also lifts us up with him. I’m going to finish with one of my favourite passages, from the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. (Emboldening mine). Ephesians 2:1-10 Wrote:As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
I really enjoyed reading that. Thanks Chris.
 . It warmed my soul.
Land Without Shrimp
Mark 13: 24-37 Wrote:24 “But in those days, following that distress, Whether or not you happen to be a Christian, if you live in a Western nation, chances are that Advent is your busiest time of year. Even for those who do not celebrate Christmas, it’s imminence cannot but shape some facets of our lives. Work becomes manic as people rush around trying to get things done before the holidays, whilst ordinary shopping trips for groceries become fraught as everyone tries to stock up on everything plus all the little luxuries - as if Christmas were, in fact, an oncoming nuclear apocalypse (with chocolates). Even travel becomes more difficult in the days and weeks before Christmas as many people try to make their way across cities, nations, continents and even oceans to be with the people they love (or whom they feel they ought to love) during the festive season. It can all get a bit much, especially if you have any planning and work to do to make Christmas happen for you and your family. It can be difficult to find the time and space just to breathe and be yourself for a little while. Yet, for Christians, the period of the church calendar known as Advent needs to be just that - a period for reflection, for anticipation, for being more than simply doing. As Christians look forward to the day upon which we choose to celebrate the birth of Christ, we anticipate the day when He will come again and although Jesus command to ‘Watch!’ is equally applicable at all other times of years, at Advent we can choose to focus on that aspect of our discipleship in particular by being very aware of God’s presence with us now whilst also to wait for him with expectant patience. But what does that really mean, especially in the midst of the pre-Christmas chaos of secular (and even some aspect of Church) life? Well, I think it means that we have to intentionally carve out time and space to reflect on the themes of Advent and to do so prayerfully. It’s not always easy. Sometimes all you can manage is a moment of silence in the midst of a Advent service, but even that can help cut through some of the festive noise to the heart of the matter. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas and I’m fond of a great many of its more secular aspects. We keep up the pretence of Father Christmas for our daughter, for example, even though I know some Christians frown on it. I love the lights, the colour, the cheesy pop music! The FOOD! Working in retail, however, the pressures and chaos and sheer meaninglessness of so much of the Christmas and pre-Christmas madness can get to you. I find it very easy to understand why many people hate Christmas. It’s not a time of year that is very forgiving to those not willing or able to commit to all the ‘festivities’ and if your circumstances or temperament make any of the usual Christmas activities difficult or painful, then the whole season can soon become a write-off. I find Christmas difficult in retail, certainly. It is stressful and doesn’t suit my temperament or tendency towards anxiety at all and if all I focus on is the usual trappings of the season, I can quickly lose all joy in it. So, for me, it is especially important to take time to focus on something deeper. If I don’t spend some time quietly focussed on Christ, Christmas can very quickly pass me by and all I’m left with is a melancholy nostalgia of Christmasses past, instead of a powerful hope for a true Christ-mass in the future. So, this Advent, I’m going to try to do what I always do this time of year - find some time and space to be with God and, rather than pour my expectations upon Him, I’m just going to wait expectantly for Him and see what He does. I fully expect that He’ll surprise me. Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Philippians 1:3-11 Wrote:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. There’s quite a lot going on in these three paragraphs, though they are all inter-related. Broadly speaking they touch on prayer, the community of believers and discipleship, but Paul isn’t just weaving his way through a few Christian touchstones in his pastoral letter, but rather is leading, one thought to the next as he explains his particular heart for the Philippians to them after his introduction. It’s a kind of executive summary of what is to come and the reason for his letter in the first place.
But these are intended only to be short reflections on a Lectionary passage for the day and so I don’t have time to break down the three themes and explore them in any depth. Instead, I want to pick just one and view it through the lens of the other two. The Christian Church with a capital C, the community of believers, those who profess faith in Jesus Christ the world over, are a particular challenge for me. As someone who describes himself as ‘Liberal Evangelical’, I find myself at odds with huge swathes of the Church on various matters of doctrine, from the intolerance of hard-line evangelicals to the post-modern lack of any genuine belief of the most “watered-down” liberals. I walk a thin line and my job here is not to convince you that it is the correct one - not at all - but to use my own example to demonstrate just how difficult it can be for Christians to actually get along! There are times when I see Christians presented in the media in some way and just sigh and wish to have nothing to do with them, but God doesn’t actually allow me that privilege. For better or worse, those people are my brothers and sisters in Christ and, like Paul, I should have them in my heart for they all share in God’s grace with me. But, oh, is it a challenge sometimes! Thankfully, we do not rely on our own mortal strength alone, but have Christ within us to strengthen and guide us, which is where the other two parts come in. We need to be praying for others: genuinely seeking God’s best for them and not just using prayer as a passive-aggressive weapon (I’ve been tempted) and praying, too, that God will aid us in this endeavour and that he will turn our dutiful prayers into prayers of genuine love and compassion for and, yes, joy in our fellow believers in Christ. And all of this is just a part of the journey of discipleship, of growing in God so that our ‘love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight’. And, as we grow ever closer to God, so, too, do we grow closer to the family that he has a given us. It is in our growing in God that we become more like him and then, and perhaps only then, can we truly love one another as He has loved us. It’s a challenge, but as I work on my discipleship in Christ Jesus, and pray more and more for the Church and those of which it is comprised, then I know that I will learn to love those He has put on earth here beside me. Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Philippians 4:4-7 Wrote:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The third Sunday of Advent is sometimes used to focus on joy. In our church we light a differently coloured Advent candle than on the other three Sundays, as if to highlight that there is something particularly special about joy and there is, but it might just be that of the four Advent themes (Hope, Peace, Joy and Love), joy is the one we find the most difficult to get a handle on in our daily lives. This is certainly true for me, anyway. The thing is that our daily lives can be, at times, unrelentingly joyless. It seems that sometimes all the daily grind achieves is to slowly reduce us to lifeless dust. And that’s before we consider any of the deeper sorrows that may assail us. How can we be joyful when we have suffered hurt and loss; grief, depression and anxiety? In his final exhortations to the church in Philippi, the apostle Paul doesn’t try to answer that question, at least not directly. Instead, he doesn’t just tell the Philippian Christians to rejoice, he commands it. But, crucially, he doesn’t command them to rejoice in general terms, but to rejoice in the Lord. God is to the be the source and the inspiration of our joy. His mere existence ought to be enough - that seems to be the implication, but there’s more to this passage than that. Paul seems to segue strangely from rejoicing to being gentle, then reminds us that God is near, then dances on towards prayer as a solution to worrying and a source of peace. It all seems a little random, but surely he must have had some order in mind? Perhaps that order comes from the realisation that God is near and that we can pray to him at any time about anything - that he knows the depth of our sorrows, the pull and tug of our stresses and strains and that, if we but ask him of it, he will grant us peace in the midst of all our trying circumstances. Instead of getting caught up in the whirlwind of life, then, we are to approach all things with gentleness - gentleness in our approach to others, yes, but perhaps gentleness in our approach to ourselves, as we love ourselves as God loves us. It is then when we are wrapped up in the very nearness of God, letting him tend to our wounds - both physical and emotional - that we can perhaps begin to see how we might rejoice in the Lord always. No matter what life brings us, no matter what dire circumstances may seem to strike out at us from the darkness of the world, we can centre ourselves on God, bring all our troubles to him and find peace in his very nearness - peace to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And when we give in to that peace, when we let the world fade away, even for a moment, then, though our cheeks may still be damp with tears, we can - we will - rejoice! Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Micah 5: 2-5a Wrote:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Micah lived mostly during the eighth century BC(E) in the kingdom of Judah, the larger and southernmost of the two kingdoms which had formed out of the kingdom of Israel ruled over by Saul, David and Solomon. His prophecies mainly concern judgment upon Jerusalem, Judah’s capital and upon Samaria, another name for Israel, the northern kingdom. The reason for these prophecies, which are similar to those given by his contemporaries, Isaiah and Hosea, was because of the departure of both kingdoms from the way of life given to them by God, the worship of idols and the abuses of those who were rich and powerful heaped upon the poor and weak. In chapter two, he writes Micah 2: 1-2 Wrote:1 Woe to those who plan iniquity, This was a society which bore little resemblance to the one God had commanded and which, whilst comfortable for a few, would have been oppressive for many. It is not hard to imagine those who suffered under the injustices of the proud feeling anxious, depressed, or full of despair, unsure where to turn and, as is likely, turning to the false gods that had become popular. They would have been a people in need of hope and though Micah’s prophecy was initially one of judgement, it is these notes of hope that have most resonated throughout history and made his prophecy so memorable, especially the passage quoted at the start of this reflection, which is a staple of Christmas readings in many Christian traditions. Though, perhaps, most significant for the fact that it brings Bethlehem into the spotlight and thus gets quoted in Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus, it if verses 3-5 that really encapsulate the hope that oppressed peoples of Judah would have been looking for. Whilst it’s true that, for many, Jesus was not the Messiah that they had been expecting, yet, even so, it is clear that he was the Messiah they needed. But how might that relate to us today? It is the end of 2018, twenty-seven centuries after Micah’s prophecy was written down and the best part of twenty centuries after its fulfilment. How is any of it relevant? And yet, we do not live in such different times as Micah, with its wealthy heaping injustice upon the poor, nor even that of Jesus’ birth, with its nationalistic tensions opposing an efficient, but cold establishment whose primary interests were far removed from the lives of ordinary Judaeans. We have endured our third consecutive year of political upheaval, of financial uncertainty, of an unpleasant nationalist populism and the stupidity of a tone-deaf political class. For many, each of these years has come to an end with one thinking sorely lacking: hope. And yet, although Jesus’ birth might not reverse Brexit or depose Trump any more than it overthrew the Romans (although it did, eventually, neutralise them), yet it just might be that it contains the hope we most truly need - the hope that there will one day be a resolution to all this when ‘his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth’ - the hope that even amidst such chaos and uncertainty, such colossal human stupidity at all levels and in all factions, ‘he will be our peace’. As the season of Advent runs shallow and the season of Christmas is so nearly upon us, perhaps now is a time to reflect on the hope and the peace of Christ, to let it wash over you in the midst of the myriad little chaoses that make up our modern lives, and to allow yourself to just be in his presence for a while, marvelling in the love that brought him to us all those many years ago and which, even now, can be with us and sustain us even through the hardest of no-deal Brexits, or whatever your current anxieties may be. ‘And he will be our peace’. Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
So, after a brief Christmas break...
Matthew 2:1-12 Wrote:2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” As today is Epiphany, there was really only one reading I was going to pick. A familiar tale this, often too familiar, in fact. It can be difficult to hear any part of the Christmas story and pay attention and savour the details, rather than gulping the whole lot down as something swallowed many times before, but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t things to ruminate. In the tale of the Magi, perhaps the simplest thing is to examine the contrast it shows us between two kings: Herod and Jesus. Herod is a king insecure on his throne. As a kind of puppet ruler, himself under the rule of the Roman Emperor, he could never feel that he was truly getting his due and now these foreigners have turned up telling him that a new king was on the way, one who would, apparently unambiguously, rule over Israel, rather than just a little bit of the Roman province of Palestine. We see that he was disturbed and that his city, Jerusalem was disturbed with him. Whether this was because they too feared for the future, or because they were hopeful, or because whatever bothered the king was likely to have consequences for each of them, the passage does not say, but I think we can all relate to this kind of disturbance - the fear and excitement of knowing that someone else might be about to take over. The other king in the story is just a little child, however. Other than what we are told about the special nature of his birth and his future role, the bible doesn’t tell us much about the child Jesus. We don’t know how he behaved or what he did, but we can tell a lot about the kind of king he was by the gifts the Magi brought. The first, gold, is a sign of his kingship, but the other two gifts, though on a par in terms of value are more revealing in their symbolism. Frankincense, an aromatic resin, was used in making the incenses which burned in the temple. Incense was itself a symbol, representing the prayers, praise and petitions of the people rising up as a pleasing aroma towards God. In giving it to the child Jesus, the Magi are pointing to someone who is more than just a king - they are hinting at his divine nature. Myrrh, on the other hand, is a perfume with a strong, bitter odour, often used to disguise the smell of decay on the bodies of the deceased. Of all the gifts the boy Jesus is given, this is most odd and one can only wonder how Mary and Joseph might have received it, but the symbolism is pointed - this is not just a king, nor even just a divine king, but a king who is going to die. Of course, the passage goes into no more detail at this stage and Matthew has the whole of the rest of his gospel to explain what kind of king Jesus is going to be and how these symbols work out int he course of his life on Earth, but even here the differences with Herod are clear. Herod is insecure and concerned with his own earthly power and position. He wants to remain in charge and fears a king like himself coming to take his throne. Jesus, on the other hand, is being heralded as a very different kind of king, one with divine authority, one who, rather than coming to usurp, will lay down his life. We might all feel disturbed, like Herod, at the possibility of handing over the rule of our own lives to another and this is the reaction of many to the demands made upon their lives by Jesus Christ, but, though it does disturb us, we can have confidence that we are giving the crown of our lives to one who truly deserves it and who is not self-serving, but self-sacrificing for our sake. Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Luke 3.15-17,21-22 Wrote:15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with[a] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Baptism is a symbol. It’s an important image of our repentance and God’s forgiveness of our sins. We are not really washed by the water of baptism, but it is good to have a visible symbol, one which we can easily understand, to help us grasp the work of God which goes on unseen within us. When John the Baptist was asked if he was the Messiah, he gave the people another symbol: not water, but fire! Both fire and water are often used throughout the Bible for the work of God in people’s lives and, in particular, the Holy Spirit, which John also mentions explicitly. Jesus would baptise us with the Holy Spirit, turning a symbol of washing with water into a deeper spiritual reality, but why fire, exactly? Fire, it may surprise you to learn, burns. In burning, fire destroys that which it burns, but it also gives light and heat, essentials to human life. It can also be that that which it destroys is undesirable and needs to be removed to purify something else, like burning off the dross in the refining of metal or sterilising equipment in an autoclave. Fire, in fact, can also be used to ‘wash’, but in a very different way from water. Though water can be tremendously powerful, that can be easily forgotten, whilst fire’s dangerous power is undeniable. John’s image tells us that Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit is a powerful one, one which changes, which burns away that which is no longer desired in our lives and leaves us refined and pure. It is an essential process for those wanting to have the fuller life that Jesus offers, but it is also a scary, dangerous undertaking. We do not always know, going in, what we will lose in the flames. We do not know how much it might hurt. There is no feeling more wonderful than experiencing God’s forgiveness and welcoming Jesus into your life, but it is wise to recognise that it does not come without a cost. Our sacrifices will always be lesser than that which Jesus sacrificed for our sake, however, and the fire which burns us, which purifies us, also powers us on our way to live the new life Christ gives us. Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
Luke 4: 14-21 Wrote:14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. Though not included in today’s Lectionary gospel reading, this passage ends with Jesus facing rejection in his hometown of Nazareth because of the extreme nature of what he has just done. For those of us out of the context of first century Judaism, it might be a little hard to grasp exactly why, but in reading this short section from what we now term the book of Isaiah, Jesus is saying something that, if it were not true, would be very close to blasphemy - the charge that ultimately led to his crucifixion. He is saying that he has been anointed by the spirit of God as a prophet, though Luke’s readers would know that Jesus had been anointed by the spirit at his baptism and proclaimed the son the God, not just a mere prophet. The task for which he has been anointed is threefold: proclaiming first good news to the poor, then liberation and healing to prisoners, the blind and oppressed and, finally, the year of the Lord’s favour. There has been much debate throughout the years as to what extent Jesus was talking about socioeconomic factors, and certainly, it is clear all through the Bible that God has a special concern for the poor and, as followers of Christ, we too must do what we can for those in need. There has always been another dimension to the use of the term poor, however, and that is of those who are aware of their spiritual need. In this sense, Jesus is saying that he has come to preach good news to those who will receive it. Similarly, Jesus is not recorded as having ever set a literal prisoner free from their chains, nor did he, as some in Judea would have hoped of their Messiah, end the oppression of the Romans. So it is clear that Jesus is talking about spiritual matters, but what do these phrases mean, spiritually? To some extent the answer is found in the third of the three tasks, proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour. This is a reference two things. Firstly, it refers to the year of Jubilee, the divinely appointed seventh year (or sabbath year) in which all debts were to be cancelled and slaves set free. Secondly, it refers to a great year of Jubilee yet to come, one which would last forever when all is set right again. In proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour, Jesus is pointing to his own purpose as the one through whom all sin would be forgiven - the ultimate cancellation of debt and because we are all considered to be slaves to sin, the ultimate setting-free. Indeed, the way a slave was set free was usually through redemption, the act of one paying the price for the other’s freedom. In the same way, we talk about Jesus being the redeemer, the one who, in his suffering and death on the cross, paid the price for all our sin. Jesus is not merely a prophet, one who proclaims these things, but the one who ultimately achieves them, who sets the oppressed free. To imply these things before an audience of men in a Jewish synagogue was scandalous. No one could do such things but God himself, yet here Jesus stood, teaching as he always did with authority and, in this case, spectacular brevity. It seems there are only two responses to such a message - belief, or rejection. The citizens of Nazareth chose one reaction, Jesus disciples, ultimately, chose the other and, in so doing, they would follow in his footsteps and do many of the things Jesus read out. Our challenge, ultimately, is to do the same, but first, we must be ‘the poor’ willing to accept our need for salvation, our imprisonment in darkness, our blindness and oppression. We must long for the year of Jubilee and then, in Jesus, we will receive it. Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
It's been a while, so I thought I'd share an old talk I gave to keep things flowing.
This was a talk I wrote for a service at a sheltered housing complex on Sunday 8th November, 2015. The passage it's all about is Daniel chapter one. Daniel is probably my favourite book in the Bible. Christians seem to love metaphors about ships. I’ve heard a few in my time, but these are the two that particularly stand out for me. Firstly, ‘A ship should be in the water, but the water should not be in the ship’, which is a metaphor for how Christians need to be active in the world and yet not influenced or corrupted by it. The second is similar: ‘A ship in the harbour is safe, but ships aren’t built to stay there’, a metaphor for how Christians often like to stay in their comfort zones, or church bubbles, rather than step out into the world and be seen doing the things Christ has sent us to do. These are good images - they help to clarify an issue God’s people have had to face since Abraham was first asked to leave his home and head for Canaan; they put the problem into terms we can easily understand and remember. They do not, however, make the problem any easier. Not only did Daniel and his friends face this problem, it defines most of what we know about them and their deeds from the Bible. These were handsome and talented young men with good prospects and good connections whose entire lives had just been ravaged by the storms of death, destruction and exile. The harbour of their youth had been pillaged and burned and their ships blown out to sea against their will. They were in genuinely terrible circumstances - circumstances that might be hard to understand or even imagine for those of us who have lived quiet lives in the relative safety of western civilisation. But though they were captured by an enemy who had destroyed their nation, robbed its wealth and humiliated their religion, they were themselves still considered valuable - valuable to that enemy and valuable to God. God had given them many talents and skills, knowledge and wisdom, as well as health and good looks, and they were desirable as part of the elite servants of the court of King Nebuchadnezzar. It’s clear from the way the passage is worded that this is what God intends - he wants his people to serve amongst those who are not his people, to use the gifts, talents and abilities that he has developed within them for the good of those around them, regardless of who those people might be and where they stand with the Almighty - and to do so very well. It is a challenge for our daily lives now. How does God want me to serve those who do not know him today? Which groups of people, hostile to the gospel, do I need to be part of? How can I use the talents he has given me to make the world a better place for everyone in it? How can I do that so that God is glorified? It is something we need to ask ourselves all the time, wherever we might be, for there are always ways we can serve others, no matter what our circumstances. If we ask God to show us what those ways are, he will do so and he will make sure we are equipped for the task. So, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah are taken out of the frying pan of their recent trauma and put straight into… well, into a pretty cushy training regime, at least, as much as such things could be. They were to be treated well, given further education and allowed to eat the royal food. What a privilege! For many people this would come as a great relief and if life had looked like it was going to be hard living among this heathen nation, they might now choose to see it as an opportunity for personal gain. After all, the God they served had sent them there, why not just follow these new, Babylonian ways and enjoy their lifestyle instead? And, at first, it seems like Daniel and his friends have accepted this. They are given new names - Babylonian names and, despite the fact that their God-fearing Hebrew names had now been replaced by names which honoured the Babylonian gods, there is no evidence in the rest of the book of Daniel to suggest that they argued about this or demanded to be referred to by anything other than their new names. Daniel continues to be referred to as Daniel, although it’s still pointed out later in the book that he was also known as Belteshazzar, but his friends are actually better known by most Christians as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, names which, in all likelihood, honour the Babylonian gods Aku, Merodach and Nebo. How could they have accepted such a defilement? And, yet, they cannot have simply decided to accept their new lives as Babylonians, with all the idolatry that that entailed, for we see that there was a problem for Daniel. The exact reasons for his concern are not stated in the passage, but it was clear that eating the King’s food was not appropriate for Jews. The meat was almost certainly not kosher and it may well have been offered to Babylonian idols beforehand. Here Daniel draws a line. How the people around him choose to identify him is one thing, and a thing he might not have had much say in, but what he took into his own body - what, essentially, forms part of his real, personal identity that he could control, was definitely another and he was not going to defile himself according to the Babylonian ways. And it was a risky course of action to take. Turning down luxuries offered by the King was hardly the most polite thing to do in an already perilously delicate situation. Yes, these young men were valuable, but they were still captives and almost certainly thought of as property. To turn down the offered food could easily be considered an insult and if they had damaged their health in any way by doing so then it would have been like damaging one of the King’s prized possessions. To make matters worse, as the story unfolds we see that the other young men may well have been restricted to the same diet - young men without Daniel’s particular principles who were probably enjoying all the King’s meat. It was a path with the potential to make many enemies and, though the passage doesn’t state it in chapter one, it’s clear that Daniel’s god-honouring ways earned him more than his fair share of resentment through the years. And yet, despite the risks, choosing this course shows great shrewdness on Daniel’s part, especially as we see how things unfold and God’s hand is seen in the favour of the official. Daniel knows when to pick his battles. When faced with a world which was opposed to his God, he knew when to let the world think it was winning and when to take a stand for what was right, whatever the consequences of that might eventually be. We might not think we would be able to make such judgement calls, but Daniel’s wisdom didn’t develop on his own, it was a gift from God and we too can ask God to give us the wisdom to work out our sometimes messy lives in the midst of a complicated world which refuses to recognise him. Which brings us to the final point of this passage. As we see Daniel and his friends carted off to Babylon amidst the most terrible of circumstances, as we see them chosen to serve the king, educated, treated well, given heathen names, as we see them defy their captors and prove the goodness of God, so too do we see the true hero of Daniel chapter one - God - doing all the real legwork in the story. There is no doubt for the writer of this passage that God is in charge, that the horrible situation Daniel and his friends had to endure was ultimately God’s doing - in his great work to punish his people and bring them back to worshipping him, but so too was their skill and knowledge, the favour of those around them and, in the end, the triumph of their faithful response over the idolatry of the world they had been put in. God is always in charge, and no matter how tough the situation we are facing at any given time, we can be assured that God knows what he is doing, he has it all in hand and he will work out his purposes, according to his will, for his glory. Daniel and his friends go on to glorify God in many ways, bringing the thoughts and eyes of the most powerful men in the world at the time right to the base of his throne, that in all things God’s sovereignty might not be challenged. That challenges us: challenges us to serve in a world where God is rejected, hated even, with the love that Jesus Christ commanded; challenges us to have wisdom and discernment to discover just where the line is that we must not cross, the line that separates a faithful, godly life from the idolatrous world. But it is also a comfort to us, for we know that, with God in charge, he will give us everything we need to face those challenges and that, in the end, he will be glorified, even through our lives. Founder of the Church of the South Pacific [Forum Thread] [Discord], a safe place to discuss spirituality for people of all faiths and none (currently looking for those interested in prayer and/or "home" groups);
And The Silicon Pens [Discord], a writer's group for the South Pacific and beyond! Yahweo usenneo ir varleo, ihraneo jurlaweo hraseu seu, ir jiweveo arladi. Salma 145:8
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