Gospel of Peace
Week #4
Perhaps the Old Testament character whose life portrays the greatest sense of “feet fitted with the readiness” is Daniel. Interestingly, Daniel did not live in peaceful surroundings. He was carried off into exile by the Babylonians. He lost homeland and likely many of his loved ones during the process. And in Babylon he faced many difficult situations in which his spiritual and cultural practices put him at odds with those who held power in the conquering empire.
Yet, Daniel and his companions—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—managed to maintain their integrity. Living whole-hearted, undivided lives, refusing to worship anyone or anything other than their God.
Read Daniel 1:1-8
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
Discussion Questions
Opening:
What part stands out most to you from Daniel Chapter 1?
Core Question #1:
How do Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego choose to live according to their inner convictions? How does it turn out for them?
Core Question #2:
What could their decision to live whole-heartedly cost them or others? What would it have cost them to live divided?
Core Question #3:
In A Hidden Wholeness, Parker Palmer gives some examples of the ways in which we live divided lives:
“We refuse to invest ourselves in our work, diminishing its quality and distancing ourselves from those it is meant to serve.
We make our living at jobs that violate our basic values, even when survival does not absolutely demand it.
We remain in settings or relationships that steadily kill off our spirits.
We harbor secrets to achieve personal gain at the expense of other people.
We hide our beliefs from those who disagree with us to avoid conflict, challenge, and change.
We conceal our true identities for fear of being criticized, shunned, or attacked.”
Which of these examples resonates most deeply with you? Why?
Core Question #4:
Palmer goes on to describe the consequences of living a divided life:
“The divided life is a wounded life, and the soul keeps calling us to heal the wound. Ignore that call, and we find ourselves trying to numb our pain with an anesthetic of choice, be it substance abuse, overwork, consumerism, or mindless media noise…
No one wants to suffer the penalties that come from living divided no more. But there can be no greater suffering than living a lifelong lie.”
How do you feel about these two choices? Is life really a simple choice between two options, or is it more complicated than that?
Concluding Question:
In which areas of your life are you living whole-heartedly? In which areas are you living divided? How is your choice related to peace?