In Daniel's dream four monsters emerge from the sea to cause chaos and destruction.  While we might be tempted to fight their violence with violence, the evil ways of empires will only be overcome by God's way of love.

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King Darius the Organizer was a good and intelligent king, so why was he so easily tricked into making an unjust law that could never be change?  Daniel was known for his exceptional wisdom, so why did he pray with his windows open when he knew it could get him thrown into the lion's den?  All of this drama could have so easily been avoided.  But that isn't how the story went and this isn't how most of our stories play out either.  Instead God shows up in the drama and in the mess, which is why we're still reading this story today.    

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Rev. Mack Mossett III and Rev. Tim Vance speaking together in celebration of Juneteenth at Calvary Baptist Church in Santa Monica.

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What does the writing on the wall mean in Daniel 5?  Mysterious writing on walls is never a good thing.  But what is the disembodied hand writing?   And what does it mean for King Belshazzar?  What does it mean for us? 

0:00 - Introduction
1:30 - Conditioned by Modern Technology
3:04 - King Belshazzar throws a party for the gods of wealth and power
5:00 - Do we need to disprove other faith traditions?
7:00 - Writing on the wall
8:25 - The Queen 
12:24 - What was written?
13:58 - What historical event inspired this story? 
15:30 - Conclusion   

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Sometimes the Bible doesn't make sense.  Sometimes we're supposed to be confused because when we are certain we stop asking questions, we stop wondering, and we stop paying attention.  And in our certainty we become like the King, in Daniel 4, who is oblivious to the pains and experiences of others.  

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King Nebuchadnezzar sees and hears only what he wants to see and hear.  But at Pentecost we are invited to see things not just from our own perspective, but from the perspective of different people, cultures, and languages.  

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Have you ever woken up from a dream and the emotions you had in the dream stay with you?   King Nebuchadnezzar wakes up from a dream and even though he can't remember it he's still very much in his emotions.  He feels threatened by the dream so he reacts by threatening others.   We can't control our dreams, like we can control many things in life, but what's important is how we make meaning out of these experiences and then how we treat ourselves and others as a result.      

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When we find ourselves in a new place or situation, we gain this forced awareness because we can't rely on our normal to be normal.  The book of Daniel is all about life in a new place (exile) where the Jewish community is wrestling with what values and traditions they can hold onto.  As we read through Daniel we are asked the same questions, "What, from our normal, is worth keeping and what should we leave behind?" 

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When we just want what we want and we’re too invested in the outcome, it’s hard to listen or see things from another perspective.  This is why we might need to learn how to take some observational distance from our own thoughts, desires and fears.  In the Bible the role of the prophet was to help the kings take a step back, before their own desire for power and power led to catastrophe.   How might their stories help us to gain some of that life-giving perspective?

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Why does the story end with fear and wonder?  Shouldn't we be left with wonder and courage?  Why doesn't the Gospel of Mark have a perfectly wrapped-up happy ending?    

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