Greetje: New page: {{info}}The two old men stared quietly
And smiled about the memory
Of years in Babylon. Meshach
Was almost blind, but in the back,
Behind those milky eyes, his mind
Was clea...

2008-10-12T20:21:16Z

New page: {{info}}The two old men stared quietly And smiled about the memory Of years in Babylon. Meshach Was almost blind, but in the back, Behind those milky eyes, his mind Was clea...

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{{info}}The two old men stared quietly And smiled about the memory Of years in Babylon. Meshach Was almost blind, but in the back, Behind those milky eyes, his mind Was clear as mountain air — the kind Of air that lets you see almost Forever. Daniel used to boast About his friend, "If I should die, The king could easily rely On Meshach for some brilliant words To make his fingernails like birds'." And they would laugh, the four of them, And think about Jerusalem, And parents who had taught them well, And perished when the city fell. 

That was a long, long time ago, Abednego was dead, and so Was Shadrach. Daniel still remained, As strong as though he had been trained To stand up like a cedar tree Against the Persian world. Now he And Meshach spent their days in town And village telling the renown Of God, and in the evening they Would ponder over years, and pray; And sometimes feel the loss of friends So deeply they would weep. "It mends More slowly than I thought it would. . ." Meshach would say, "But God is good."

This night the mood was very calm, And memory was like a balm Of healing peace spread over all The loss and pain. "Can you recall The time when Zion was a joy And crown, and you were just a boy?" Meshach inquired. "I can. Can you?" Old Daniel smiled, "You know, it's true, Meshach, that you could memorize The Torah best. Of all the tries That I would make, you always knew Another line by heart. Did you Know I was last of all our class? The Rabbi barely let me pass."

"Of course I knew; I watched you all The time. You'd stare into the wall, As if there were a window there, And never cheated once! No snare, As I recall, had ever caught Your foot, when we were brought To Babylon. And I was just Remembering your dad. He must Have been a noble man. Was there A way he built your heart to care More for the truth and honesty And law of God, than luxury? I mean, to live with you has been An awesome thing. For Daniel, in These sixty years I've never seen You act or speak except with clean And holy principles, and stake Your life time after time to make Some truth or purity outshine The meager worth of rank and wine, And even life itself. Can you Recall? What did your father do?"

"There was a day," Daniel replied, "That I will not forget. He died At Babylon's first strike. And I Had half an hour with him to try And stop the bleeding with some strings. At fifteen years there are some things A boy would like to hold, but not The body of his father shot. Of all the things he might have said, He quoted Psalm fifteen. He'd read It to me countless times before. It was the garment that he wore Around his faith and hope. He said, 'Son, love not ease, nor much the bed, Nor station, rank, or human praise, Nor pleasures that the wine repays, Nor wealth or power from below, Nor life, above the God you know. Thus says the Lord, my son: Who swears For good, and does not change, but bears The threat of man, will dwell with God, And know the blessing of his rod.'

Meshach, I swore that moment I Would never lie, nor ever try To make my life more pleasant through Deceit, nor ever twist what's true, Or bend the rule of God that some Fictitious benefit might come. So you are right; my father left Me fatherless, but not bereft Of rectitude, or reverence. It was a great inheritance."

"It was indeed, Daniel, and I For one can surely testify That you were not the only heir Of this great legacy; for there Have been ten thousand Jews Who year by year have heard the news That Babylon with all its might Cannot bend Daniel from the right. Your father's legacy has fired The flame of honor, and inspired The courage of a million deeds Against the stream of pagan creeds With all their lures and steamy breath And puny threats of pain and death. The whole world knows what you have done Within the court of Babylon.

And I, my friend, for all these years Have lit my fire and calmed my fears By watching you. And now tonight Without my eyes, I still see light Stream down the memories, and feel The fire ignite my faith and seal The certainty that you were sent, And every pagan threat was meant To magnify the power and truth Of God, though you were but a youth. I see a Jewish boy with tears Of loss still on his face, and fears Of what might come — I see him stand And face the guard, and lift his hand, And say to Ashpenaz, ‘I will Not drink your wine nor fill My stomach with your royal food, Nor let my tongue and heart be wooed Away from Moses and my God For fear of some Chaldean rod.'

Again I see a banquet hall And King Belshazzar over all, And drunk before a thousand lords, Exalting gods made out of gourds, And lifting up a toast to hell With chalices from Israel. I see the writing on the wall And suddenly the merry ball Is terror stricken: what could mean Mene tekel upharsin? And then I see a young man dare To stand alone for God, and there To lift his voice and say, ‘Was it Not pride that made your father sit Insane for seven times and eat Grass like an ox, until that seat Taught him that kingdoms built by men God gives to whom he will and when? And now, Belshazzar, read the script Of God. Is not the finger dipped In blood? Your days are numbered short, You have been weighed with all your court: Like dust upon the scales your deeds. Tomorrow come the mighty Medes.' And finally I see a man Of prayer. He reads the royal ban That says, "If anyone should pray To heaven's God, that very day He will be stopped by watchful men, And thrown into the lion's den." I see him read, then rise and take His place in open view to make His prayer." "And Meshach, do you know The prayer I made? I said, ‘Below The heavens there is none I love More than my dad, and none above More than my God. And if it cost Me everything, and if I lost My life, I will not cease to flood With praise the day my father's blood Sealed me for truth and righteousness. With all my heart, O God, I bless, The day my father died and left Me fatherless, but not bereft Of rectitude, or reverence. It was a great inheritance!'"

And so it was, and is today, A legacy to light the way Where little love is spent on truth And many fathers fail the youth. O, God, as we light candle two, Ignite a fire for what is true. May Daniel's flame burn bright today, And fire us, young and old, to say, That whether we survive or not We will do right no matter what.

Daniel - Revision history

Greetje: New page: {{info}}The two old men stared quietlyAnd smiled about the memoryOf years in Babylon. MeshachWas almost blind, but in the back,Behind those milky eyes, his mindWas clea...

Greetje: New page: {{info}}The two old men stared quietly
And smiled about the memory
Of years in Babylon. Meshach
Was almost blind, but in the back,
Behind those milky eyes, his mind
Was clea...