Susanna 23 (Daniel 13:23) I choose not to do it. I will fall into your hands rather than sin in the sight of the Lord.
This short story is one that appears in the Greek translations of Daniel, but not the Hebrew ones, so it is relegated to the Apocrypha. Daniel makes an appearance at the end, which is how it gets associated with his book, and it can be placed right before Daniel (the Daniel that appears is a young man) or directly after. A short and simple story, it describes how two elders of the community lust after the beautiful Susanna and conspire to make her give in to their desire. This quote is how she replies to their threat to accuse her of adultery unless she has sex with them.
How often do I refrain from doing the right thing because I am afraid of the consequences? These elders are hoping to use Susanna's fears about being accused of adultery (a crime punishable by death) to get her to do something she knows is wrong. As I read through this verse, it was as if I knew what it was going to say. Think about it. If she gives in and sleeps with these two guys, who's to say what they'll do? Perhaps they'll keep demanding more and more of her, risking exposure for the wrong she was actually doing. Perhaps they'll betray her, like David's son Amnon did after raping his sister Tamar. Then what would she have gained? Susanna decides to remain true to God and the principles of a God-driven life. Then at least, she can bank on her own innocence in God's sight. If she gives in, she has nothing to count on. This is an example of what I would call Right Action.
I've never had to make such a decision under threat of death as Susanna does, but each day I make little decisions when potential rewards are offered for doing what I feel isn't right, even in small and seemingly insignificant ways. If I can hold onto those principles, hold onto listening to God's call even in those small ways, I can hold onto a kind of integrity of a God centered life. God within, guiding me: this is the call of integrity. As I get older, this call to integrity becomes more and more important to who I am. If I am God's, I must live the integral, whole life that God calls me to. Otherwise, what's it all about? The choice is mine, as it was Susanna's. If I choose to follow God, I will suffer (all living involves suffering) but I will be whole and out of that wholeness comes the capacity to be with my suffering and not have it destroy me. Because God will be there as well, and following his call ensures that I will know and experience His Presence. If I am broken inside, through not living according to God's call to me, if I am split in my loyalties, making decisions based on their effects in my life rather than what is True and Right, then the inevitable suffering will break me in half; I won't be able to stand it because the Source from which I draw my strength won't be so available. My access will be challenged by all the wrong choices, wrong decisions, practices that take me farther and farther apart from God.
Prayer: Dear God, I have never had to face the difficult choice Susanna does, but every day I make little choices which build on one another in an accumulation of either a strong, integrated soul or a weak split one. Guide me in my small choices so that I may stand whole before you and follow Your Call to service. Amen.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Just as he had always done
Daniel 6:10 When Daniel learned that the decree had been signed and posted, he continued to pray just as he had always done.
What an example of steadfast loyalty and consistency of practice! Daniel's enemies in the Babylonian court have convinced the king to issue a decree ordering that anyone caught worshiping a god other than the king be put in the lion's den, but even this decree doesn't throw Daniel off his game. I can see him up there, sitting on his roof, facing Jerusalem three times each day, through rain and storms and blistering heat. Sort of like the US Postal Service. That's to say nothing of the inner storms that might be erupting at the prospect of facing a hungry lion. Through it all, Daniel continues his practice of prayer, a practice of praise, worship and thanksgiving.
And here I am, tossed by my own inner storms of such a mild nature compared to Daniel's--just the agitation of meeting life's challenges, the anxieties of living every day. When I find myself too susceptible to these inner and outer storms, I can look to Daniel as an example, and ask: Am I being consistent with my practices of prayer and contemplation? Am I reading and reflecting on scripture often enough? If I do these things consistently -- and I do some more consistently than others -- they form a foundation for my life, a house built on rock that cannot be shaken. If I abandon them, I abandon myself. Then the house of my life is built on sand, susceptible to every breeze, ready to be scattered in all directions by the first difficulty that comes my way. So I need to remind myself to make these practices an integral part of my life, every day. I have a community that practices contemplative prayer together, and that is a huge support to my own practice. When life gets too busy, and I start to neglect my reading, it really shows. And when difficulties arise, and my emotions get stirred up, when I can keep with these practices it really makes a difference. Reminds me what I am about, whose I am, and that with God at the helm, everything is going to be all right. God will give me what I need to deal with whatever comes. My practices of prayer and contemplation are the outward expression of that faith, that certainty.
Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me to turn to my contemplative practices for grounding in the face of life's storms, and to keep my gaze fixed on you whatever comes my way. Amen.
What an example of steadfast loyalty and consistency of practice! Daniel's enemies in the Babylonian court have convinced the king to issue a decree ordering that anyone caught worshiping a god other than the king be put in the lion's den, but even this decree doesn't throw Daniel off his game. I can see him up there, sitting on his roof, facing Jerusalem three times each day, through rain and storms and blistering heat. Sort of like the US Postal Service. That's to say nothing of the inner storms that might be erupting at the prospect of facing a hungry lion. Through it all, Daniel continues his practice of prayer, a practice of praise, worship and thanksgiving.
And here I am, tossed by my own inner storms of such a mild nature compared to Daniel's--just the agitation of meeting life's challenges, the anxieties of living every day. When I find myself too susceptible to these inner and outer storms, I can look to Daniel as an example, and ask: Am I being consistent with my practices of prayer and contemplation? Am I reading and reflecting on scripture often enough? If I do these things consistently -- and I do some more consistently than others -- they form a foundation for my life, a house built on rock that cannot be shaken. If I abandon them, I abandon myself. Then the house of my life is built on sand, susceptible to every breeze, ready to be scattered in all directions by the first difficulty that comes my way. So I need to remind myself to make these practices an integral part of my life, every day. I have a community that practices contemplative prayer together, and that is a huge support to my own practice. When life gets too busy, and I start to neglect my reading, it really shows. And when difficulties arise, and my emotions get stirred up, when I can keep with these practices it really makes a difference. Reminds me what I am about, whose I am, and that with God at the helm, everything is going to be all right. God will give me what I need to deal with whatever comes. My practices of prayer and contemplation are the outward expression of that faith, that certainty.
Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me to turn to my contemplative practices for grounding in the face of life's storms, and to keep my gaze fixed on you whatever comes my way. Amen.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
He holds your life in his hand
Daniel 5:23 But you treat with contempt the living God who holds your entire life from birth to death in his hand.
This is the famous incident of the "writing on the wall." Drunken King Belshazzar of Babylon has called in the sacred vessels from the Temple in Jerusalem, which his father Nebuchadnezzar had brought back, and is eating and drinking off them as if they are ordinary plates. The words written on the wall pronounce his doom.
Do we honor the sacred in our lives? The presence of God as it exists in every human being is one place I see the sacred. We can respect each person and listen to understand his or her truth, whether we agree or disagree with a particular point of view. We know what it is like to be treated with hostility or contempt, to be intimidated, demeaned and ignored. The Torah says, "Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you." This kind of treatment denies the sacred in every living human. Jesus said, "Do not return evil for evil." So even when we are treated in contemptuous ways, we are called not to respond in kind. Desmond Tutu told of spending hours prostrate on the floor praying to God because he could feel the hatred beginning to grow in his heart for all those who had oppressed his people.. He could not take one step without clearing his heart of anger or it would taint all that he was trying to accomplish. That's a pretty high standard, but a good example. I found myself in a situation recently where I was treated with hostility, intimidation tactics and a dismissive attitude. As my mind continues to walk through ways of getting one-up on them (in a good Christian way, of course!) it is clear my heart is troubled. I need to clear my heart, like Desmond Tutu did, before I make a move.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the clarity with which you have shown me my path. Cleanse my heart of all the effects of this event so that I may once again be present to the sacred in all people. Amen
This is the famous incident of the "writing on the wall." Drunken King Belshazzar of Babylon has called in the sacred vessels from the Temple in Jerusalem, which his father Nebuchadnezzar had brought back, and is eating and drinking off them as if they are ordinary plates. The words written on the wall pronounce his doom.
Do we honor the sacred in our lives? The presence of God as it exists in every human being is one place I see the sacred. We can respect each person and listen to understand his or her truth, whether we agree or disagree with a particular point of view. We know what it is like to be treated with hostility or contempt, to be intimidated, demeaned and ignored. The Torah says, "Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you." This kind of treatment denies the sacred in every living human. Jesus said, "Do not return evil for evil." So even when we are treated in contemptuous ways, we are called not to respond in kind. Desmond Tutu told of spending hours prostrate on the floor praying to God because he could feel the hatred beginning to grow in his heart for all those who had oppressed his people.. He could not take one step without clearing his heart of anger or it would taint all that he was trying to accomplish. That's a pretty high standard, but a good example. I found myself in a situation recently where I was treated with hostility, intimidation tactics and a dismissive attitude. As my mind continues to walk through ways of getting one-up on them (in a good Christian way, of course!) it is clear my heart is troubled. I need to clear my heart, like Desmond Tutu did, before I make a move.
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the clarity with which you have shown me my path. Cleanse my heart of all the effects of this event so that I may once again be present to the sacred in all people. Amen
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Even if he doesn't
Daniel 3:18 But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O King. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue that you set up.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three Israelite youth who are in captivity in Babylon, are about to be thrown into the fiery furnace. They are among the lucky ones in captivity, because they have been recognized for their intelligence and abilities, and are being educated along with the other court wise men and are fed the King's diet. They have a lot of privilege in this situation, but their dedication to the One True God, Jahweh, has not been diminished. They know God can rescue them from the fiery furnace, but they're not expecting it. They will follow God, through the fire if they must, but they will honor God above all else, and not deviate from the path they are called to.
It's humbling. I don't have much doubt what I would do if faced with a fiery furnace -- Yes, sir, where should I kneel to worship this statue of yours, these other gods you have chosen? All God asks of me really is to be faithful in small ways in the face of the minor difficulties that make up my life, to rejoice in his gifts, to follow his path and to lay my anxieties at his feet. There are no fiery furnaces, or lions and gladiators in front of me, not even some of the more serious worries of people today who are getting laid off with families to support, or losing their houses. No, there are just the every day anxieties of bills to be paid, sick relatives to attend to, trying to earn a sufficient living and doing what lies in front of me. Stories like this, humbling as they are, give me the perspective and backbone to carry on, to see what is in the glass, not just what is missing. These mornings when I feel like pulling the covers over my head and staying in bed all day, I can step out in faith and confidence that I can do the small things life has presented me with.
Prayer: Dear God, You have given me so much and what you ask is all that I have and all that I am. Give me the courage to be fully the person you are calling me to be as I address all the complexity that life offers. Amen.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three Israelite youth who are in captivity in Babylon, are about to be thrown into the fiery furnace. They are among the lucky ones in captivity, because they have been recognized for their intelligence and abilities, and are being educated along with the other court wise men and are fed the King's diet. They have a lot of privilege in this situation, but their dedication to the One True God, Jahweh, has not been diminished. They know God can rescue them from the fiery furnace, but they're not expecting it. They will follow God, through the fire if they must, but they will honor God above all else, and not deviate from the path they are called to.
It's humbling. I don't have much doubt what I would do if faced with a fiery furnace -- Yes, sir, where should I kneel to worship this statue of yours, these other gods you have chosen? All God asks of me really is to be faithful in small ways in the face of the minor difficulties that make up my life, to rejoice in his gifts, to follow his path and to lay my anxieties at his feet. There are no fiery furnaces, or lions and gladiators in front of me, not even some of the more serious worries of people today who are getting laid off with families to support, or losing their houses. No, there are just the every day anxieties of bills to be paid, sick relatives to attend to, trying to earn a sufficient living and doing what lies in front of me. Stories like this, humbling as they are, give me the perspective and backbone to carry on, to see what is in the glass, not just what is missing. These mornings when I feel like pulling the covers over my head and staying in bed all day, I can step out in faith and confidence that I can do the small things life has presented me with.
Prayer: Dear God, You have given me so much and what you ask is all that I have and all that I am. Give me the courage to be fully the person you are calling me to be as I address all the complexity that life offers. Amen.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
You pulled me from the grave
Jonah 2:6 I was as far down as a body can go, and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever--Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive, O GOD, my God!
If you know the story of Jonah, you can probably guess where this long prayer comes; you would say he is giving thanksgiving for his deliverance from the whale that swallowed him. If you thought that, though, you'd be wrong. This is the prayer Jonah prays while he is still inside the whale. It is a prayer of thanksgiving for deliverance before that deliverance happens. How many of us have that kind of faith? Not me. Right after it, God speaks to the fish and Jonah is thrown up onto the shore. So here you have this guy, a prophet, with the kind of faith that moves mountains and opens the mouths of whales, and yet he still thinks he can run away from God, can avoid the destiny God is calling him to. It's a conundrum to me. The problem with Jonah is that he doesn't want God to save the Ninevites, to whom he has been called to preach, because they are Israel's enemies, and he doesn't want them to receive the grace and mercy in which he knows that the God he worships abounds. When he's on his game, he's unstoppable; but when he goes against God, he'll do anything, go anywhere to avoid it, and when he is forced to go and preach, and the Ninevites do repent and God relents, his anger is as powerful as his faith.
This whole book ends with a question. God shows Jonah that Jonah changes his mind, from pleasure to pain, just because of a small vine that grows up overnight, provides him some shade, and then dies. Then God asks Jonah, can't God change his mind, too? We never get Jonah's answer. My suspicion is that he's still royally pissed off about the whole thing, that he had to be God's instrument bringing about the salvation of people he hated. It makes me wonder, what are the ways I am standing in the way of God's purposes for me because of my hatreds, or prejudices, or fears. Jonah knew God's power, knew what God wanted of him; that's why he could pray so fearlessly in the belly of the whale, telling God he would go and do what God asked, knowing God so well that his release from the whale was a done deal even before it happened. I only have an inkling of that, and only at times. If I could really see myself where God wants me to be, and I can give thanks for that, joyfully accepting the call, what new possibilities might unfold in my life? What are the fears or prejudices that get in the way, what are the ideas I carry around about what I "should" be doing that may have nothing to do with where God is calling me? How do I get down through all the layers and connect with God's true purpose for my life?
Prayer: Dear God, I think of Thomas Merton's prayer -- I believe I am on the path you call me to, but I have no way of knowing if I truly am or not. Kindle in me a fervent desire to know and follow your will. Show me the obstacles that I myself place in the path, and teach me how to overcome them. Know that my true longing is to fulfill the destiny you have ordained for me. Amen.
If you know the story of Jonah, you can probably guess where this long prayer comes; you would say he is giving thanksgiving for his deliverance from the whale that swallowed him. If you thought that, though, you'd be wrong. This is the prayer Jonah prays while he is still inside the whale. It is a prayer of thanksgiving for deliverance before that deliverance happens. How many of us have that kind of faith? Not me. Right after it, God speaks to the fish and Jonah is thrown up onto the shore. So here you have this guy, a prophet, with the kind of faith that moves mountains and opens the mouths of whales, and yet he still thinks he can run away from God, can avoid the destiny God is calling him to. It's a conundrum to me. The problem with Jonah is that he doesn't want God to save the Ninevites, to whom he has been called to preach, because they are Israel's enemies, and he doesn't want them to receive the grace and mercy in which he knows that the God he worships abounds. When he's on his game, he's unstoppable; but when he goes against God, he'll do anything, go anywhere to avoid it, and when he is forced to go and preach, and the Ninevites do repent and God relents, his anger is as powerful as his faith.
This whole book ends with a question. God shows Jonah that Jonah changes his mind, from pleasure to pain, just because of a small vine that grows up overnight, provides him some shade, and then dies. Then God asks Jonah, can't God change his mind, too? We never get Jonah's answer. My suspicion is that he's still royally pissed off about the whole thing, that he had to be God's instrument bringing about the salvation of people he hated. It makes me wonder, what are the ways I am standing in the way of God's purposes for me because of my hatreds, or prejudices, or fears. Jonah knew God's power, knew what God wanted of him; that's why he could pray so fearlessly in the belly of the whale, telling God he would go and do what God asked, knowing God so well that his release from the whale was a done deal even before it happened. I only have an inkling of that, and only at times. If I could really see myself where God wants me to be, and I can give thanks for that, joyfully accepting the call, what new possibilities might unfold in my life? What are the fears or prejudices that get in the way, what are the ideas I carry around about what I "should" be doing that may have nothing to do with where God is calling me? How do I get down through all the layers and connect with God's true purpose for my life?
Prayer: Dear God, I think of Thomas Merton's prayer -- I believe I am on the path you call me to, but I have no way of knowing if I truly am or not. Kindle in me a fervent desire to know and follow your will. Show me the obstacles that I myself place in the path, and teach me how to overcome them. Know that my true longing is to fulfill the destiny you have ordained for me. Amen.
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