For many the
“separation of church and state” means we shouldn’t mix faith with politics. We
carry the idea that faith belongs to the “inner,” personal, and private world,
while civics, policy-making, and politics belong to the “outer”
world. Don’t talk politics at church and don’t drag religion into
politics, we say. Keep the worlds separate.
But this is not how
Daniel, the Jewish youth exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar, behaves.
Daniel’s faith and politics are intertwined in his public and private lives. He
lives out his heavenly and earthly citizenship with seamless integrity. Daniel
embodies the exhortation of 1 Peter 2:17 to
“love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the emperor.” What might this look
like for us today? Yesterday’s message offers some guidance. If you missed it,
you can listen to it here.
