Daniel: Standing Tall in the Shadow of the Empire

Through the book of Daniel we hear our ancestors in faith speak to us:

We’ve passed on all we know.
A thousand generations live in you now.
And this is your time…

The book of Daniel tells stories of young people figuring out what it looks like to trust God in the midst of seemingly impossible choices.
The book of Daniel shows confusing visions of an ultimately hopeful future in the midst of dehumanizing, seemingly all-powerful forces.
The book of Daniel explores what it looks like to act faithfully even when one is engulfed in the long shadow of an empire that demands total allegiance–body, mind and soul.
And then there’s the paradox; the book of Daniel paints a picture of wisdom, wisdom which holds the tension of unwavering faithfulness to God combined with knowledge learned in the school of the empire.
During Epiphany, a worship season when we shine the good news of God to the world, we explore the book of Daniel that demonstrates a covenant people living in a dominant society that doesn’t share their worldview. Daniel and his friends adapt to their new world and influence it. They also withstand its demands of total allegiance. During this season of Epiphany, we watch the faithful in the book of Daniel shine, and learn from them what it might mean to shine in our own context.