Go. Shine. Be You. Daniel 1:1-17

 

Rev. George Miller

Nov 30, 2025

Daniel 1:1-17

 

Woe to St. Lucas, a church of true sport fans.  Blues, Battlehawks, Cardinals.

 

Those who cheer for the Chiefs; Bulls, Bucks, Lakers, or Celtics. 

 

Conversations ignited by asking Mizzou, SLU, or Fighting Illini?

 

Woe to St. Lucas because you called a pastor whose sport of choice is Miss Universe.  That’s my Stanley Cup and Superbowl.

 

Miss Universe is huge in the gay and Latin Community.  You don’t have to worry about how the game is played, how to figure out the points, or keep asking the rules.

 

Miss Universe is attitude, glamour, great hair, diversity, and drama. 

 

On Nov 4, Miss Mexico and others walked out in protest when an official called her “dumb.”

 

Miss Jamaica was hospitalized Nov 19 after falling from the stage.

 

Then there are the individuals who capture the world’s attention with their whole, complete selves.

 

This year, the standout was Olivia Yace from Cote d’Ivoire.  With a Master’s in Marketing, she runs a foundation devoted to women’s health and education.

 

When asked what advice she’d give young women, Olivia said “Go into those rooms where you don’t belong, shine, and make sure you assume your identity.

 

Last week, Viktor’s Mom said “I offer you a coffee, a hug, and a happy day.”  Today, Miss Cote d’Ivoire says “Go. Shine. Be You.”

 

That’s another way of saying “Live as if Heaven is here, on Earth.”  This comes from woman who knows what it means to not be like all the others.  Just like Daniel, a youth from Judea who was taken as a captive to Babylon.

 

Following last week’s narrative, Judah was attacked.  Their Royal Court, Temple authorities, artists, architects, the elite and athletic are taken 900 miles away to Babylon.

 

This is the consequence of King Ahaz not trusting in God, siding with his human enemy, and the whole country living corrupt lives.

 

Daniel is among the top 15% of society who’s been kidnapped.  He’s deemed healthy enough, smart enough to be taken 900 miles away, but he’ll never see his homeland again, reenter the doors of the Temple, or taste toasted ravioli or gooey butter cake again.

 

Daniel and his peers are taken to Babylon, a flat place full of vipers and scorpions, reeking of pork, and houses of worship devoted to Baal, a deity not often kind to kids.

 

His medium-brown to deep olive skin and thick wavy hair would stand out from the youth in Babylon with their lighter skin, straighter hair, rounder faces.

 

Daniel and his peers are forced into a place with their different accent, looks, and eating practices, and yet, he found a way to belong, shine, and assume his identity.

 

How?  Why?  Perhaps it’s Daniel’s foundation; the rock on which he stands- God.

 

Daniel is someone so rooted in who he is, what he believes, and where he draws the line.

 

For him, it’s not learning a new language or learning a new culture, he has no issue with the fabulous clothes or spa treatments he receives.

 

But the food.  The food mattered.  The king is offering booze and  burgers, and Daniel says “Nope.  Not my food.  Not my body.”

 

We could go into a deep dive why Daniel would say this, but let’s just say Daniel, rooted in his worldview and knowledge of God says “Nope.  I’m good.  Just give me vegetables and plenty of fresh water and we’ll be fine.”

 

Ten days later, Daniel and his dudes are doing better than those who opted for the All-You-Can-Eat Babylonian Buffet.

 

Somehow, someway, Daniel is a person of faith who knew that the food he was offered may have been fit for  King, but not for a servant of the King of Kings.

 

Part of today’s story is the example of how one can experience God even when it appears that God is not present. 

 

Daniel is nowhere near the Temple, or a holy book, or access to a Sabbath Service, and yet he holds onto his faith and his identity through the food he eats.

 

Daniel is surrounded by temples devoted to another god, he’s seeing the unholy actions of others, he’s learning about their culture and identity, and yet he never loses his.

 

Even in this strange land, with strange foods and smells, God is there.  And that is so revolutionary that it prompts Daniel to take revolutionary action.

 

This is key for us to embrace and wonder as we wander this Advent Season. 

 

Here we are, week one, ready to go back to Bethlehem to remember who we are and recall what the Child In the Manger is All About.

 

Today we are like the Magi and Shepherds in the Field, making our way to City of David.

 

Our Christmas Carols and customs make us feel comfy and cozy, but what we’re getting ready to experience is a revolution.

 

That the God of Daniel, God of Jeremiah, God of Hannah is about to enter into our lives in an unexpected way- heaven is about inhabit human flesh.

 

We’re so use to singing about it, repeating scripture about it, that we get used to it, Christmas is earth-shaking, showing us the God is not aloof or unfeeling, but that God enters into our experiences to walk the same roads we walk, across the street to our neighbors or 900 miles away.

 

This is what our Sunday Adult Education class is learning as they read “Heaven And Earth” by Will Willimon.

 

The revolutionary knowledge that in the baby about to be born, God is going to eat with us, drink with us, cry with us, listen to us.

 

As we journey Back to Bethlehem, we seek the child who will grow to be the living one who washes our feet, heals our children, enters into our home, engages with all.

 

And because of this, all things matter.  The manger matters.  The path we take, the people we meet on the way to the manger matter. 

 

Hope matters.  Even as nights get darker, even as things seem uncertain, hope matters.

 

Just as we see in Daniel.  That ability to hold on.  To live in hope.  To exist knowing who you are and who you are not.

 

We journey back to Bethlehem because we know that our identity is rooted in the revolutionary child we’re about to meet.  That baby represents is the best we can be.

 

And that is beautiful.    

 

In closing, we have another quote from Olvia Yace, one that Daniel may have agreed with-  “Beauty is not in imitation.  It lives in the truth of our faces.  When we change your reflection to look like someone else, you forget your own face is already a masterpiece.”

 

This Advent season may we rediscover who we are; may our reflection be one that says “We belong.  We shine.  We are God’s Beloved.”  

 

Amen.