Daniel's Defiant Diet

October 6, 2009
 
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
 
Before the lion’s den and the fiery furnace, the story of Daniel begins with a simple meal.  Whisked away to a foreign land and forced into a boot camp for enslaved exiles, Daniel had everything taken from him, including his homeland, his future, and even his name:  Daniel (“God is my judge”) became Belteshazzar, “Prince of the King.”
 
The only details we’re given of his time in training was the menu.  He was commanded to eat the king’s royal rations, which included foods that were as unholy as they were unhealthy.  But what they lacked in nutritional value, they compensated in theological symbolism.  Eating these foods would mean allegiance to the king, and adherence to his pagan ways.
 
So Daniel had a choice to make:  Bend to the culture and eat junk, or stay true to the God of the Hebrews and stay fit.  And for Daniel, this was a no-brainer.  His choice to eat only vegetables and water rather than the king’s food was based on more than dietary reasons.  It was an act of spiritual allegiance.   
 
He dispelled the old cliché, “You are what you eat” and chose to believe,  “You eat what you want to become.”  
 
If you want to be just like the culture around you, then consume it.  Gobble it up voraciously, and hoard it for yourself.  But if you want to be a follower of God, set apart for a unique purpose to make a difference in the world, then start with the way you treat your own body.  What you do with your physical well-being is the most solemn, and most basic, act of stewardship you’ll ever offer.  Because you cannot do what God calls you to do if you don’t take care of the body God has given you.

It’s the same principle portrayed in the 1981 Academy Award winning film Chariots of Fire, in which the character Eric Liddell viewed running as a way of glorifying God.  He competed in the 1924 Olympics prior to serving as a missionary in China, and when his sister Jennie questioned Eric’s commitment to missionary service in lieu of his training, Eric responded, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”  Liddell knew that his service to God began with a commitment to his own physical well-being, and that stewardship of his body gave God great pleasure.
 
This Sunday, we’ll hear more of the story of Daniel and his friends, and learn how they fared (no pun intended) in this fabled food experiment.  More importantly, we’ll hear sage words of advice from health care professionals in our community and learn practical ways for us to take care of our bodies.  It’s all part of our current sermon series on health called, “To Your Health:  God’s Prescription for a Healthy Life.”  And as a reminder, keep on walking!  We’ve been doing a great job engaging in physical exercise as a congregation for our 25 million step challenge.  Report your steps to the office or on an attendance sheet this Sunday.
 
See you Sunday!

Magrey