Tuesday March 17
Readings: Dn 3:25, 34-43; Mt 18:21-35
Today’s first reading from Daniel is one that is likely familiar to most of us. The reading speaks of Shadrach, Meshak and Abednego in the fiery furnace who are protected by God and come out unscathed. While in the furnace, they give great testimony to God’s mercy and love. An amazing story, for sure, and maybe one that requires some further investigation.
The Book of Daniel (chapter 1) begins by telling us that Jerusalem had been captured by the Babylonians. The Israelites were now subject to a foreign empire. Daniel and the other 3 who are mentioned were taken into their captor’s ranks. We’re told that they were to be “indoctrinated” into the ways of the Babylonians. The Baylonians wanted these young men to read their books, speak their language, eat their food, worship their gods and assimilate into their culture. They were even given new names: “The head of the palace staff gave them Babylonian names: Daniel was named Belteshazzar, Hananiah was named Shadrach, Mishael was named Meshach, Azariah was named Abednego.”
I could not help but think how familiar this scenario sounded in terms of the history of the United States. Time after time the domination culture “captures” (literally and figuratively) another group and indoctrinates them into the ways of the dominant culture. The dominant culture even captures anyone who does not represent the “norm” and indoctrinates them to act like the most valued people in the dominant system (so in our modern culture this would be a white, straight, cis, Christian, able-bodied male of substantive economic means…).
But Daniel and the others resist (where there is domination, there is always resistance). They devise a clever plan to not eat the food and drink the wine of the Babylonians. They learn to use the skills that they are taught to their own advantage. And they refuse to bow down before the foreign gods.
Their resistance also lands them in deep trouble.
As an aside, I want to be clear that I do not romanticize resistance. When you stand up to the powers of dominance, the powers make you pay. Some have paid a dear price over time for “simple” things like dignity and integrity and oppressed and marginalized communities teach us much (historically and currently) about what it costs to try to keep one’s soul and community intact.
One last note: the scripture tells us that Azariah “stood up in the fire and prayed” the prayer that we read in the scripture. The scripture uses his original name – not his Babylonian name. This is yet another form of resistance. His people (the scripture writers) did not forget who he was no matter where he was living and what was happening to him.
I spend a lot of time on this because we are in a time that requires resistance, and we need to hear stories that remind us of it. We have all been indoctrinated by the dominant culture that has made us act and think in certain patterned ways. We’re seeing some of this come back to haunt us as we struggle to address the COVID-19 situation here in our own country in terms of no national health care system, little protection for the ‘common good’ and a reliance on an economic system that is far more fragile than we imagined it was (and fragile for the majority of us).
In times like these, we also see people who refuse to give in to fear and self-protection and choose instead to help others, work for the collective good and tend to others. Part of our Lenten disciple is to remember our true names and seek out the community that remembers who we are – even if we have forgotten. We also need to be that for others, and the scriptures call us back to a life based on a different set of values.
Notice today where you might resist some of the dominant narratives.