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From Series: "Flourishing in the Shadow of the Empire"

We face two temptations in relating to the world around us: We find ourselves driven by comfort and conform to the world’s ideal for living, or we see the world as our enemy, and attempt to fight it or eject from it. In the book of Daniel and the other exilic prophets, we see an alternative third posture lived out. Daniel and his friends lived as exiles, jews taken from their home into Babylon. Even in an empire that often conflicted with their faith and was blatantly anti-God, they found ways to flourish and be faithful witnesses of the one true God. Likewise, Jesus didn’t call his disciples to exert their rights, to wield human power, or create a society to christianize culture, but instead introduced an upside-down kingdom that subverted societal norms with love for the world. As Jesus’s followers now, how do we live this? Is it possible to be a faithful, courageous exile amidst an “empire” that calls for our allegiance and devotion? This fall, we’ll explore Daniel, and find a powerful blueprint for living in a secular and pluralistic culture – without compromise and with grace and mercy.