Daniel

Daniel arrived in Babylon as a Jewish man. He received a Babylonian name and would live the rest of his life in the Babylonian court. However, he never lost his “Jewishness” – his core commitment to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He resisted the temptation to just live like the Babylonians. He refused the option of simply being assimilated by the pagan culture that surrounded him. He stayed true to his faith. He remained pure in his daily life.

He is an example to us today as we face the challenges and pressures of cultural assimilation. When the world seeks to press us into its mold, we need to be reminded of Daniel and his friends who survived well in Babylon so long ago.