I came home from Japan with my email box full of congratulations on my being selected as World Magazine’s “Daniel of the Year”. Since I was quite unaware of this (they told me only that they had been working on a story on me…), it came as quite a surprise, and made me think of the real Daniel that they named the honor after. Daniel is the biblical hero who interpreted dreams for the King of Babylon, was interrogated and thrown into the lion’s den but not harmed. He was full of faith, a young man “without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.” (Daniel 1:4) He could interpret dreams. I am not so sure if I am worthy of such a comparison, but if this honor means that our friends in Christian circles are more and more aware of the vast importance of the arts in our lives and faith, I do accept, humbly knowing that there are many (some of whom I have spent time with in Japan and Washington D.C. in this trip) who labor for Christ without any fanfare or a deserved applause.
Here’s the article.
I have always written Refractions knowing that many of the readers live outside of the cultural range of a Christian church. I hope you will continue to find this to be a listening post for my musings on travels, art and faith.
Daniel proclaimed to the King:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.”
May your holiday season be full of refractions of this light.