Times are not so different

In 2008, film director Danny Boyle showed the world a fantastic movie (Slumdog Millionaire) about a teenager in the Indian city of Bombay who goes on his country's famous TV show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The movie goes back and forth between every question the main character (Dev Patel) is asked on the show and scenes that show why he knows the answer. If you have yet to see the movie, I recommend it. These last few days, I remembered the movie when thinking about the column because I have realized that I speak from my reality; I find it very complicated to write or share a message that I have not lived; I am rather bad at relating something alien to me. At the same time, that particularity of my personality has made me get into the rhythm of explaining where many of my thoughts are born, just like in the movie.

These last weeks with my wife, we started to read the stories of the book of Daniel in the Bible again. Returning to these stories that are so well known among the children in the churches reminded us that the Christian life is about remembering many times more than learning.

Well, as we read the first chapters of Daniel, it has been necessary for us to remember which God we choose to serve. Christians often assume that God owes us explanations and accounts, I don't know why, but from a broader perspective, we act as if He is the 911 who not only comes to our call as soon as possible but also comes to say and do what we want Him to do. It is as absurd as it reads. Do I serve my God? Or does He help me? In other words, we use Him like any Amazon product: what He serves us for when He serves us; otherwise, we throw Him away, exchange Him or return Him.

I was greatly surprised to see the example of Daniel's three friends in the famous story of the fiery furnace in Daniel chapter 3. Read it well: these three men were captives in a foreign land, had their names changed, served a pagan king, were surrounded by other gods entirely, and were asked to worship a colossal statue. I hope that sounds familiar. The time that story tells is not much different from our time; we are surrounded by gods, idols, figures, and kings that we make up with fame, money, and entertainment. Is that bad? Judge for yourself.

Let us remember that Nebuchadnezzar learns that they have not prostrated themselves before the statue; he sends for them and asks them if this is true and then threatens to burn them alive in a fiery furnace. I am amazed at the conviction of these three men; not only did they not prostrate themselves, but also, in the very presence of the king, they responded as they responded. It is unbelievable. Read with understanding. 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

I hope that our lives will be that voice that rises amid our reality; I pray that the prayer of the Christian people will be with the conviction of knowing which God we serve, regardless of the future, and not that our prayer will cry out to be set aside. I believe in that God who wants to show his light amid darkness by taking us to Babylon, to be those only three men or women who are clear in their convictions. 

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. John 17:15