Standing up to Empires.

Christians come from a tradition of heroes who stood up to Empires and Kings, never surrendering to their images, statues or flags.

In the face of tyranny and dehumanizing oppression, many from this tradition bravely held their convictions even at great personal cost. Ultimately - Jesus himself stood in this tradition and, many years later, so did Martin Luther King. 

Of the countless examples of this moral courage found in the Bible, those who defied King Nebuchadnezzar stand out as particularly instructive for our time. 

I’ve slightly altered the reading - see for yourself in Daniel 3: 

“You are commanded, O Athletes and POC, that when you hear the sound of the National anthem, to rise up and show respect the sacred flag that Lord Trump has tweeted about. Whoever does not rise up and pay tribute should be immediately be fired and publicly shamed by the blazing fire of his big mouth and shameless tweets.”

As one the brave POC responded “be it known to you, O orange king, that we will not serve your white-ness and we will not be silent before the flag of a country that still shelters systems of oppression and racism against our brothers and sisters. We will not quietly stay in lane while their blood pours out in the streets.”

Then King Trump was so filled with rage against the defiant POC and athletes, that his face was distorted. He tweeted seven times more than was customary, “if you do not pay tribute, you shall immediately be burned by the blazing fire of my tweets and who can deliver you from my Presidential power? How dare you S.O.B’s point out that your lives don’t matter the same as white lives, how dare you point out the inequality, how dare you get out of line and refuse to be grateful for what we whites permit you?”

But even with all his foul bluster, King Trump could not bully them into obedience.