Living in Babylon

Dorothy had just arrived in the Land of Oz She was holding her little dog in her arms and said: “Toto, I have a feeling that we are not in Kansas anymore”. Dorothy looked around and discovered that everything was different from what she was used to.

We who believe in Christ and follow the teachings of God’s Word the Bible, may feel that we too are living in a strange new world that does not resemble what we are used to. The place where we grew up had more of a Christian influence that was even reflected in the society we lived in. That “Kansas” is no more. As a matter of fact instead of Kansas we are living in Babylon like Daniel and his three friends. Daniel and his friends faced constant pressure to conform to the political correctness of Babylon. They were pressured in every way to fit in to the society around them. Even their names were changed to be more Babylonian. What could they do? How were they going to survive in this brave new world?

In the book of Daniel we discover how to live in Babylon. Instead of living on an island away from everyone, those believing exiles unpacked their suitcases and realized they were going to be here for a while. It would be 70 years until the exiles were able to return home. As we read the book of Daniel we find that the believers influenced the culture through the sweet aroma of their godly living. They at times had to take a stand of determined resistance. They wouldn’t eat the king’s food or bow to the king’s idol of gold. They also influenced the culture by sharing with them the truth of God. Daniel related to the kings what God had told him in a dream regarding the future. Finally the believers salted their culture with a ministry of intense prayer.

No, we are not in Kansas anymore.But one day we will go home.Right now we are living in Babylon.Until we leave, we must live a godly lifestyle and share the truth.We must pray and at times resist.We may even have to face a fiery furnace or a den of lions.