Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should rank third in the kingdom.
That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, December 4, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Honestly, this is just weird. Daniel has just translated a supernatural message that Belshazzar’s kingdom is about to go down in flames, and Belshazzar is like, “Wow! Thanks, dude! You’re amazing.” And then he’s dead. Does anyone, when they receive dire news, thank the bringer of said news? Maybe sometimes.
I had breast reduction surgery in 2020, and as part of the standard process, they sent a large sampling of the removed tissue to pathology. And they discovered that the majority of the tissue was “carcinoma in situ” or, basically, “cancer waiting to happen.” Not something I was expecting, nor something I was particularly happy to hear. But, unlike Daniel’s message to Belshazzar, it wasn’t a death sentence. It was an opportunity to do some serious prevention. And so yes, I was incredibly grateful for what could be seriously bad news. And I continue to be grateful for the doctors who are working with me.
I also know there are plenty of people who find out something far worse. Stage four inoperable cancer. A one-in-a-million terminal disorder. Mass layoffs. Scams resulting in the loss of life savings. How do we greet the bearers of news such as this? Just as Daniel did not create the situation resulting in Belshazzar’s death, those who bring us this kind of devastating news are not to be blamed. But embraced? Bedecked with finery? I think in those cases, we are more apt to set them aside and move on to working with those who can actually help us through whatever our crisis means is coming next. And that’s plenty. Perhaps we can, at least, recognize that God is speaking through those bearers of bad news—shining light upon the truth, however hard to face. Then we an recognize that God is working in and through those who walk with us on the journey ahead.
When have I received truly bad news? Who gave it to me? How did I receive it?
