Article November 22, 1982 Issue

Daniel—a man of courage

VIRGINIA HOUGE STEVENS

Some years ago I attended a play that portrayed an individual in a prominent position who would not compromise his beliefs, in spite of prevailing pressures. Even when the situation threatened his life, he did not capitulate. In every age there are a few individuals who shine brightly because they have the courage to stand firm for their convictions.

The story of Daniel in the Bible describes such an individual. Written over two thousand years ago, at a time when the Jews were suffering oppression for their faith under an aggressively pagan Greek ruler, it is as vital and applicable today as it was then. The writer, speaking to the Jewish people, saw the need for moral courage in the society of his day. Surrounded by those whose values and beliefs were opposed to their own, they needed guidance and inspiration to give them strength in a time of worldly pressures. Furthermore, they needed to know that righteous living has rewards. To follow the one true God took commitment. These people, a Bible commentator has written, "were facing a situation where it had to be absolute loyalty to God or they were lost. It is the situation we face today." ^{The Interpreter's Bible (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1956), VI, p. 357 .}

Are the present-day gods of matter, physical satisfaction, personality, money, position, fame, and so on, very different from the cherished idols of the past? The courage needed two thousand-odd years ago comes from the same source as that needed now to avoid the pitfall of false gods. In the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy writes, "Moral courage is requisite to meet the wrong and to proclaim the right." ^{Science and Health, p. 327.}

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