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Not Conformity but Character
Roger Gaikwad |
| One of the challenges we face today is the power and impact of globalisation. We are living in a world of Coca Cola, Pepsi, Macdonald’s hamburgers, Reebok shoes, Suzuki vehicles etc. We are living in a world where the Gulf and other oil-rich countries are determining the price of petrol, cooking gas and other related products in our land. We in South Asia are highly dependent on aid from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The so-called economic prosperity of our nations depends upon the investments of multi-national companies and the rich people in our countries. We are impressed by the success of the developed countries. We seek to emulate them. They too appear to be condescending to help us, albeit on their terms and conditions. We are directed to conform to their values, technologies and life-styles. In such a context let us look at what we can learn from Daniel and three friends. How did they respond to the political, economic, cultural system of their times? |
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| The Greek Globalising Power: The Context of the Popularity of Daniel’s Story |
The phenomenon of globalisation is not entirely new. It has existed in earlier periods of history though however in slightly different forms and on smaller geographical scales. Take the case of Alexander the Great. During the fourth century BCE he conquered the then known lands of human civilization all the way from Greece to the borders of India. According to legend, Alexander wept because he had no more lands left to conquer! Alexander’s campaigns were not simply matters of political conquest. In every country and region he conquered, Alexander established Greek settlements through which he spread Greek philosophy and culture. The well-to-do citizens of the countries conquered by Alexander went to such settlements. They particularly sent their young men and women to learn the Greek language, philosophy and culture so that they could acquire good jobs and a high status in society. Success lay in becoming like the Greeks; success lay in conformity with the super power!
After Alexander the Great, the Greek empire was divided into smaller kingdoms. The Palestinian region came under the control of the Seleucids. During the second century BCE, the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes planned to spread the Greek Hellenic culture among the Jews. In fact even a section of the Jewish society requested Antiochus IV Epiphanes to establish a gymnasium in Jerusalem. Antiochus very gladly obliged! The gymnasium became a means for spreading the Greek influence among the Jews. The result was that it became fashionable to dress and speak like the Greeks. Many of the young Jews in Jerusalem and in the diaspora forgot their own mother tongue - they could speak only Greek! This was one of the reasons that led the Jewish leaders to translate their Hebrew scriptures into Greek. Thus the Septuagint came into being.
Antiochus was not satisfied with cultural assimilation. He even tried to change the religion of the Jews. He offered his own sacrifices in the Temple of the Jews erecting an altar to the Olympian god Zeus. He also attempted to convert the Temple precincts into a brothel. Here was a crisis in the life of the Jews. Their identity, culture and religion were at stake under the power and impact of the global Greek lords. This led to the famous Maccabean revolt under Mattathias and his three sons Judas, Jonathan and Simon. They refused to conform to the Greek ways, powerful and glorious though they appeared to be. They were committed to living their lives according to the character of their Jewish understanding of spirituality and shalom. It was during this period that the story of Daniel and his three friends become popular! This story cautioned the people about the dangers of the power and impact of Greek globalisation. Daniel and his three friends - an echo of Mattathias and his three sons - served as exemplary models of character in the pressurizing context of conformity.
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| The Characteristics of Globalisation: The Pressures for Conformity |
In Daniel 1: 1 – 2, mention is made of the super-power nation, Babylon headed by King Nebuchadnezzar. His was a trans-national empire of which Judah also became a part in the early sixth century BCE. Not only did the Babylonian army conquer Judah, it took away the treasures of Jerusalem. Along with the treasures, the noble, rich and influential people were also taken captive to Babylon. While super-powers of contemporary times do not indulge so much in military conquests, they do actively engage in technological superiority and economic domination of weaker nations. Globalisation is an expression of this strategy. The treasures of India whether it be the Kohinoor or basmati, our finest textiles and leather, our prawns and tea are found in the possession of super-powers. Not only our commodities but also our people are taken over by them. In Daniel 1: 3 - 4 we read that Nebuchadnezzar ordered that a process of screening be undertaken and the best among the youth and nobility be selected for special training. The cream of the captive society was to be given the best of training for an exclusive purpose: to enter the royal service. During my days in college the term “Brain Drain” was quite common. The foreign powers attracted the best scholars and professionals to their countries so that the glory and strength of those countries would be further enhanced. In our contemporary times, we have the phenomenon of “campus recruitment”. Multi-national companies visit campuses and recruit the best students from institutions for the development of their respective companies. Some countries during the past few years have sanctioned additional quotas of visas so that they could easily acquire the services of our best brains, our computer experts, our scientists, and the cream of Indian society.
In Daniel 1: 3 - 4 we see the criteria that King Nebuchadnezzar laid down for selection of candidates: “youths without blemish, handsome and skilful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning and competent to serve.” Very significantly the interest of Nebuchadnezzar and of our contemporary globalisation powers is in physical power and mental prowess, on smartness, speed and external charisma. The concern for moral and ethical integrity of character is lacking among the criteria stipulated by the super-power! One expression of this global obsession with physical beauty and mental powers is beauty contests. The number of different kinds of these contests is increasing day by day in India. Such contests are deceptively captioned as “Beauty with a purpose.” The purpose they talk of is charity not justice. Charity does not support a movement to change the unjust, unwholesome status quo. They want the rich to be rich while the poor are to be given some consolation doles. Beauty with a purpose! Indeed there is a hidden purpose behind these contests and that is to make more and more Asians buy the cosmetic and other luxurious products of the contest sponsoring companies. Our Aishwarya Rais and Sushmita Sens are taken over by luxurious life-styles and the Bollywood ethos. Where is the concern for justice and shalom in all this? Global powers are concerned primarily with smartness, slickness and success. No wonder soon after the moral scandal in former American President Clinton’s life, one public opinion poll conducted in America revealed that Mr. Clinton was still No. 1 in popularity! The charisma of external personality - that’s what the global advertisements and mass media emphasise!
In Daniel 1: 5 it is mentioned that the king assigned them a daily portion of the rich food that the king ate, and the wine that he drank. What incentives offered by the king! Food and wine from the royal table! Not only did it ensure good health but also economic prosperity and social dignity. This is how globalising powers attract the best: Incentives! Perks! Recruits are granted well-furnished rent free houses, cars, cellular phones, high salaries and quick promotions. Most people would be tempted by such offers. At this point I would like to remark that prosperity theologies are also an expression of this ideology of globalisation. A parody of the popular children’s hymn, “Jesus loves me this I know” goes like this: “Jesus loves me this I know. Uncle Sam tells me so! If I join his church today, I will go to USA!” The cable TV channel Miracle Net is attracting people all over India to the magic of healing, overcoming of debts and tasting of success in life if we believe in what the preachers say and subscribe or contribute to their ministries. In other words, we are assured of prosperity and blessings on the condition that we conform to the requirements of the powers of globalisation.
In Daniel 1: 6 - 7 we come across another feature of globalisation: the changing of identity of those captivated by its forces. We read that the names of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were changed to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Globalisation has the effect of not merely cosmetic change but also core transformation. A friend of mine from school days was fascinated about America. On completing his engineering studies, he received an offer to go to America. As he began to enjoy economic prosperity he also started imbibing the American culture. The Indian Neelam Bhatia soon changed his name to Neil Bhatia. Not only his name, his views and way of life were also changed. Neil has become totally Americanised! Globalisation indeed imposes a new identity, a new culture upon us. How our tastes are being slowly changed. From Indian Chicken Curries we are being attracted to Kentucky Fried Chicken! From Indian classical music we are drawn to the rock music of the west. Alas the spirit of globalisation is instilling an inferiority complex among us about our identity and culture. Furthermore globalisation is engaged in the campaign of unifying and standardizing views and ways of life all over the world. In other words we are faced with the danger of succumbing to the pressures of conformity thereby losing our own distinctive identities and unique cultures.
In Daniel 3: 4 - 5 we discover the root, the foundation or the god of globalisation. In Daniel’s time, the king’s herald declared, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe… and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden images that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up”. People and nations all over the empire were required to worship the images of gold. In our times market and money have been declared to be the gods of the globe. We are all being enticed to worship these gods. In Daniel’s time those who refused to worship the golden images were threatened with death in a burning fiery furnace (3:6). Similarly people and nations who today do not join the economic system of the global lords and who do not make the necessary structural adjustments are threatened with death in a burning fiery furnace (3:6). Similarly people and nations who today do not join the economic system of the global lords and who do not make the necessary structural adjustments are threatened with exclusion, poverty and extinction. In falling down and worshipping the images of gold people lost their dignity as human beings. So also in the new religion of globalisation, nations have been reduced to markets and human beings to consumers! As the old saying goes, “If you can’t beat them, then join then!” Weak nations and powerless individuals it seems have no option but to conform. The gods of globalisation are transforming our identities, values, priorities and life-styles. |
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| People of character in the context of globalisation |
Daniel and his three friends were part of the globalisation system of the Babylonians. They could not live outside the system. But their God, their values, their priorities and life-styles were different. They refused to conform. They were men of character. They were in the world, but not of the world.
In Daniel 1:8 we read that Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the food and wine from King Nebuchadnezzar’s table. Eating the royal Babylonian food would result in a loss of their religious-cultural identity and commitment. Their diet was an expression of their discipleship of, and dedication to, their liberative God. Besides, there was practical wisdom in avoiding rich foods that could cause cholesterol, diabetes and other health problems. Thirdly, there was an ethical responsibility in refraining from the delicious pleasures of luxurious food. How could they enjoy Babylonian delicacies when their humble sisters and brothers lived among the ruins of Jerusalem and all Judah, struggling to get one square meal a day? (Cf. Psalm 137:1, 4-6) Thus Daniel and his friends were men of character. They had a strong sense of their identity and a deep commitment to responsibility associated with that identity.
This identity and responsibility grew out of their experience of and fellowship with God. When Nebuchadnezzar had disturbing dreams, neither he nor the wise men of Babylon were able to understand and interpret it. It is something like the super - power America being roused from its blissful worldly slumber by the attack on World Trade Centre and the Pentagon (Remember in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream a stone hit the images of many metals and it collapsed and broke into pieces - Daniel 2: 34 - 35) Through his understanding and interpretation of the dream, Daniel revealed his faith in a God of history who stands for justice and righteousness and executes judgement upon the nations (Daniel 2: 36 - 43). Human history would find its fulfilment when God would usher in kingdom values: “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” (Daniel 2: 44). It is this experience of and fellowship with the righteous God of history that was the foundation of Daniel’s identity and life-style. They were men of character.
Not only did Daniel and his friends believe in such a God, they were committed to God’s values even to the point of death. In Daniel chapter 3 when Daniel’s friends were to be thrown into the burning fiery furnace for their refusal to worship the golden images they faithfully declared, “The God we serve is able to save us from it; … But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods” (Daniel 3: 17 - 18). In like manner, Daniel faced the den of lions (Daniel 6: 16). Daniel and his friends trusted God in life and death. Success for them lay not in the safety of their biological life and attainment of material comforts. They sought fulfilment in life by committing themselves to God’s purposes till the very end of their existence on earth. These were men of character! Their story inspired the Maccabean revolution in the second century BCE. Their story continues to inspire us today.
What does the Lord require of us? Not conformity but character! |
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