But Daniel resolved that he will not defile himself….. (v. 8)
Nebuchadnezzar is the new super-power who
proposes a new world order. He imagines himself at the centre of that new
order, set to impose his purpose by every means necessary. He has the power to
decide unilaterally what is to happen; the power to make things happen.
Thrown into this bewildering state of
affairs are Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, young men from Judah, exiles
in the Babylonian metropolis. They are put into a three year instructional
program in the curriculum of courtly wisdom, language and literature of the
Babylonians. Imperialistic strategies planned with necessary foresight and
firmness are administrated to ‘Babylonize’ these young men in and out. They are
uprooted from their homeland, given residence in proximity to the royal
dwelling, their names are changed, new knowledge and skills are been imparted
to them, attempts are made to alter even their diet and lifestyle. The royalty
wants to ensure that all traces of their Jewish identity, their memories, their
faith heritage -whatever it is that may distance them from the Babylonian order
or allegiance to the king- is done away with. Changing of name (v. 7) symbolises
the dependent status conferred upon these young men – they are now the servants
of Nebuchadnezzar and his gods. Being insisted upon to attend the royal banquet
(king’s food and wine) speaks of the king’s claim to be the sole provider and is
the assertion of foreign dominance.
The story takes a dramatic turn when Daniel
and his friends resolve not to defile themselves with the royal rations of food
and wine. The text does not exactly reveal the motivation behind such an act.
Were the food and the wine ‘bad’ because they were mixed with the categories of
foods forbidden in the Torah? Or was the wine and the meat originally offered
to the idols? Were the Jewish lads strictly following the set of dietary
practices characteristic of observant Judaism at least since the Maccabean
period?
It is true that the reader may not
conclusively know why Daniel and his friends did what they did in this
situation. All we know for certain is that they said “NO” to the manners of the
high table. However, the course of the narrative in the Book of Daniel can help
us to discern that Daniel’s and his friends’ “NO” was an act of resistance
against the total domination of the empire; they were resisting the forces that
were persuading them with all their might to assimilate to the culture and the
ways of the empire. Trusting in God, they were confronting the empires of their
times.
Daniel’s and his friends’ story of
resisting the royal dictates had implications that extended beyond time and
space. It was told and retold by the Jewish people during the long years of
exile in Babylon. Even when they returned from Babylon, they were often under
the yoke of foreign rulers some of them as notorious as Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
The Book of Daniel has a message to offer to faithful of all times suffering
under the yoke of oppression: we are emboldened by Daniel’s example to resist
the forces of oppressive empires and are assured of God’s vindication for us.
We are called to trust and obey the King of Kings, the Lord of heaven and
earth, rather than the rulers of this age.
Now, what are the empires of our times ordering
us to fall in line to their dictum? What is the food and wine that the modern
emperors are offering us? Novelist and social activist, Arundhati Roy in her essay
Confronting Empire throws light on
these questions:
When we speak of
confronting empire, we need to identify what empire means. Does it mean the US
government (and its European satellites), the World Bank, the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and multinational corporations?
Or is it something more than that?
In many countries,
Empire has sprouted other subsidiary heads, some dangerous by-products –
nationalism, religious bigotry, fascism and of course terrorism. All these
march arm in arm with the project of corporate globalisation……..all this is
empire, this loyal confederation, this obscene accumulation of power, this
greatly increased distance between those who make the decisions and those who
have to suffer them.
In line with Arundhati Roy, we can say that
empire refers to an overall systemic reality, the logic policies and practices
associated with socio-religious, economic power-centres contributing towards
increasing injustice, distortion of identities, deprivation of the dignity and
self-respect of fellow beings, for reasons whatsoever suits the powerful.
Contemporary marketing and advertising
strategies are the new weapons of the MNCs -‘empires’- of our times, directed
towards changing our life-style and even food habits to suit their never
quenching thirst for profit. An ordinary Indian begins his day by “waking up to
the rich aroma of Nescafe Sunrise”; he/she is told “happiness begins with Bru
coffee”. For breakfast one needs to have Quaker Oats as it “enhances your life
with every spoonful.” For your mid-day break Kit-Kat is a must and then for
lunch we have McDonalds Happy Meals - you cannot but say “I’m loving it. McDonalds.”
By the end of the day you are most likely to fall sick, but don’t be worried, for
we have the insurance giant consoling us -life
me sath bhi, life ke baadh bhi- you only have to take their policy.
Are we advocating complete prohibition of
these consumer products? - It may not be practicable or even sensible. But we need
to affirm that the choices we make in our life should be motivated by our faith
and trust in God rather than being carried away by the alluring jingles of the
MNCs.
Christian witness involves confronting the
powers of the empire even in the matters of food we choose and the clothes we
wear and the way we live our lives. We need also to know that “empires” may be
as big as Nebuchadnezzar or the MNCs, but at times they may also be quite ‘intimate’,
‘personal’ and ‘invisible’ – an addiction, an evil ambition lurking within our
hearts… Many Christians who are very much vocal about resisting the MNCs and
other visible power structures fail to look into their own selves for
‘invisible’ empires ruining one’s Christian witness. We are called to resist
the empires of this age both ‘invisible’ and ‘visible’ and dedicate ourselves
to the cause of a ‘Higher Empire’ – the kingdom of God.
Bishop Geevarghese Mor Coorilos has
dedicated his book Ethical Issues:
Subaltern Perspectives to the memory of Mayilamma, an illiterate native of
the tribal community in Plachimada, Palakkad, Kerala. Commemorating her, the
bishop pens these words: “This book is dedicated to the inspiring memory of Mayilamma
who gave her life on behalf of millions who are determined to fight the empires
of our times, come what may…” The sleepy
and less-known hamlet of Plachimada came to the limelight when Mayilamma and
other villagers confronted the Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverage Pvt. Ltd. which had
started its plant in their village. The dwindling level of water in the village
wells and more manifest the change in colour of the water forced her to launch
a satayagraha in front of the plant
from April 22, 2002 onwards. The bottling plant was eventually forced to stop
its activity in March, 2004.
This simple and uneducated village woman
fought against the ‘empire’ and prevailed. Daniel and his friends resisted the
empire of their times holding fast to their faith and they were vindicated.
Now, how about us? What is our witness when confronting the empires of our
times?
Joseph John
MTh I
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