The book of Daniel is a great book for the church to study in modern times. The culture around us is changing at lightning speed and for Christians it can be hard to keep up, let alone find our place within it. Our world is more polarised, more politicised, more ‘tense’ and more uncertain than in the previous generation. For some this is a great moment of excitement and liberation but for others it’s bewildering and confusing. For the church, we’re finding ourselves rapidly and increasingly at the margins of society. Biblical values are seen by many of our contemporaries not only as outdated, but even dangerous.
Welcome to being a resident alien! Welcome to the book of Daniel!
What are the three overriding emotions that come with being a resident exile?
(1) Feeling out of place?
Daniel knew what it was to be an alien within a culture. He and his three friends had been taken by force into Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC. They were Jewish teenagers, the young elite of Jerusalem society, but they were suddenly thrust into a new education system, given new names, given new foods to eat and told to worship new gods. They were having to adapt…and adapt fast.
Daniel will teach us how to adapt to being a resident alien. What can we say ‘yes’ to and what do we need to say ‘no’ to? He’ll teach us how to find our ultimate identity not in this world, but in God and in the future kingdom. Only with that stability, can we adapt.
(2) Feeling intimidated?
Being the odd one out is intimidating. Whenever the church has been in the minority the temptation is either to (a) assimilate – become like the culture or (b) retreat – separate from the culture. Both are ‘coping strategies’ to being a resident alien – we remove the resident part (by retreating) or the alien part (by assimilating). They’re natural reactions but they are really about helping us feel better and find a place of comfort, rather than honouring the role God wants us to play in society as ‘salt and light’.
Daniel will teach us godly courage – what it takes to remain for many years as an alien within a culture. When we are intimated, our allegiance is tested – to whom will we bow? Daniel anspires to bow to no-one but the living God of heaven.
(3) Feeling in need of direction?
Maybe you want to adapt and you want to avoid the twin errors of assimilation and retreat but you need direction – how can I live sustainably as a resident alien? How can I make friends with different values than me and not compromise the gospel nor be unloving? How can I stand up for Jesus without being brash and insensitive?
Daniel will teach us what it means to be a disciple in exile – exilic discipleship. In Jerusalem everyone goes to the Synagogue, reads the Bible, prays to your God and has the same values as you. In Babylon no-one does any of these things. What does it mean to be a disciple in exile and not be ‘confirmed to the pattern of this world’ (Romans 12:2) whilst remaining in the world?
If you want to learn from Daniel then come along either at 10.30am at Oatlands Primary School, Stillorgan (CCC South) or 4.30pm at Synge Street Secondary School, Portobello (CCC Central). Here is our preaching series to take us through to Easter
- 5th Feb – Daniel 1:1-7 – Resident Aliens (part 1)
- 12th Feb – Daniel 1:8-21 – Resident Aliens (part 2)
- 19th Feb – Daniel 2 – Who rules the world?
- 26th Feb – Daniel 3 – To whom will you bow?
- 5th March – Daniel 4 – Humbling the proud
- 12th March – Daniel 5 – The writing on the wall
- 19th March – Daniel 6 – Facing the lions
- 26th March – Daniel 7 – The Son of Man
- 2nd April – Daniel 9 – A man in prayer