The Journey 331
Read: Daniel 9: 1-19
People always expect their leaders to be models, models of exemplary behavior, leading a lifestyle that is cognizant to the position that one holds. A few weeks back the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni showed a rare and exemplary courage and did something that is very rare in this world today. Uganda celebrated its 50th anniversary of Independence in October. At the celebration of its golden jubilee of independence a national jubilee prayers event was held and it is in this event that the President made a mark for himself and a model for others. What he did that was exemplary was that, he publicly acknowledged his sins and the sins committed by the nation and sought forgiveness from God. This is what he said “I stand here today to close the evil past, and especially in the last 50 years of our national leadership history and at the threshold of a new dispensation in the life of this nation. I stand here on my own behalf and on behalf of my predecessors to repent. We ask for forgiveness. We confess these sins, which have greatly hampered our national cohesion and delayed our political, social and economic transformation. We confess sins of idolatry and witchcraft which are rampant in our land. We confess sins of shedding innocent blood, sins of political hypocrisy, dishonesty, intrigue and betrayal,” The President prayed “Forgive us of sins of pride, tribalism and sectarianism; sins of laziness, indifference and irresponsibility; sins of corruption and bribery that have eroded our national resources; sins of sexual immorality, drunkenness and debauchery; sins of un-forgiveness, bitterness, hatred and revenge; sins of injustice, oppression and exploitation; sins of rebellion, in-subordination, strife and conflict,” After his prayer of repentance, the President dedicated the country to the power of the Triune God. He said “We want to dedicate this nation to you, so that you will be our God and guide. We want Uganda to be known as a nation that fears God and as a nation whose foundations are firmly rooted in righteousness and justice to fulfill what the Bible says in Psalm 33:12: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. A people you have chosen as your own,”. Blessedness in a nation when God is acknowledged in every area of ones life, in a nation where a leader submits himself to the power of God and humbly confesses ones sins and shortcomings. Here is a leader who is humbling himself, one who acknowledges that he is fallible, and also acknowledging that a nation needs to be governed in Godly values and principles. We live in a time when everyone is hungry for power and authority and the moment some position of authority is entrusted to someone, it is often seen as a plank to rule and be autocratic rather than serve. Hence I think leaders who rule different countries and clergy like us who who are given position of authority, could take a leaf out of President Museveni’s book. To humble oneself in the sight of God, acknowledging ones sins and the sins of the nation and people, so as to be a corrective force in the life of the nation and the church. We have a leader in the Bible who also publicly acknowledged the sins of a nation so that God would be merciful to them. The leader in the Bible that we are going to meditate is on Daniel.
We are meditating on the theme “Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Daniel 9: 1-19. This portion depicts the prayer of Daniel in the light of the sins committed by the people of Israel, the chosen one. Jerusalem is in a desolate state, the people were captive and Daniel wanted Lord to restore the city that was so desolate. A desolate state because of the unfaithfulness of the chosen people. It is this sin that Daniel acknowledges. Daniel refers to the covenant relationship that God instituted with his people in Sinai and how he had sent prophets to warn people of their sins and also as to how God would punish the people severely if they did not obey him. He confesses that they all have collectively disobeyed God and brought about death and destruction on themselves. In v: 9-12, Daniel prayed “ We have rebelled against you, we have not obeyed the voice of God, nor walked in his teaching, we have transgressed the law of ….” Here is Daniel using events from history to proclaim the backsliding and unfaithfulness of the people. Moreover when Daniel prays he does not stand in the judgment seat and proclaim himself righteous while others are sinners, on the contrary he identified himself with the people. Though he was not guilty of being unfaithful to God, nevertheless he associated himself as corporate sinner, acknowledging that as a member of God’s chosen nation, he has also sinned. Finally he beseeches God to be listen to his prayer and his supplication [ Daniel 9: 17-19] and forgive his people and help Jerusalem to regain its glory. Here is Daniel whose power as a leader is seen through the prayer that he does for his people. Power that is exhibited by a leader through a deliberate humbling of oneself. In a world where leaders tend to behave in the most autocratic manner and flout all rules and ethics to remain in power, it is people like President Museveni and prophet Daniel who teaches us that true power and authority comes when we are ready to humble ourselves, acknowledge our sins and is willing to identify with our community in their fallenness and help them to move forward with repentance and renewed commitment to the Lord.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla
People always expect their leaders to be models, models of exemplary behavior, leading a lifestyle that is cognizant to the position that one holds. A few weeks back the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni showed a rare and exemplary courage and did something that is very rare in this world today. Uganda celebrated its 50th anniversary of Independence in October. At the celebration of its golden jubilee of independence a national jubilee prayers event was held and it is in this event that the President made a mark for himself and a model for others. What he did that was exemplary was that, he publicly acknowledged his sins and the sins committed by the nation and sought forgiveness from God. This is what he said “I stand here today to close the evil past, and especially in the last 50 years of our national leadership history and at the threshold of a new dispensation in the life of this nation. I stand here on my own behalf and on behalf of my predecessors to repent. We ask for forgiveness. We confess these sins, which have greatly hampered our national cohesion and delayed our political, social and economic transformation. We confess sins of idolatry and witchcraft which are rampant in our land. We confess sins of shedding innocent blood, sins of political hypocrisy, dishonesty, intrigue and betrayal,” The President prayed “Forgive us of sins of pride, tribalism and sectarianism; sins of laziness, indifference and irresponsibility; sins of corruption and bribery that have eroded our national resources; sins of sexual immorality, drunkenness and debauchery; sins of un-forgiveness, bitterness, hatred and revenge; sins of injustice, oppression and exploitation; sins of rebellion, in-subordination, strife and conflict,” After his prayer of repentance, the President dedicated the country to the power of the Triune God. He said “We want to dedicate this nation to you, so that you will be our God and guide. We want Uganda to be known as a nation that fears God and as a nation whose foundations are firmly rooted in righteousness and justice to fulfill what the Bible says in Psalm 33:12: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. A people you have chosen as your own,”. Blessedness in a nation when God is acknowledged in every area of ones life, in a nation where a leader submits himself to the power of God and humbly confesses ones sins and shortcomings. Here is a leader who is humbling himself, one who acknowledges that he is fallible, and also acknowledging that a nation needs to be governed in Godly values and principles. We live in a time when everyone is hungry for power and authority and the moment some position of authority is entrusted to someone, it is often seen as a plank to rule and be autocratic rather than serve. Hence I think leaders who rule different countries and clergy like us who who are given position of authority, could take a leaf out of President Museveni’s book. To humble oneself in the sight of God, acknowledging ones sins and the sins of the nation and people, so as to be a corrective force in the life of the nation and the church. We have a leader in the Bible who also publicly acknowledged the sins of a nation so that God would be merciful to them. The leader in the Bible that we are going to meditate is on Daniel.
We are meditating on the theme “Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Daniel 9: 1-19. This portion depicts the prayer of Daniel in the light of the sins committed by the people of Israel, the chosen one. Jerusalem is in a desolate state, the people were captive and Daniel wanted Lord to restore the city that was so desolate. A desolate state because of the unfaithfulness of the chosen people. It is this sin that Daniel acknowledges. Daniel refers to the covenant relationship that God instituted with his people in Sinai and how he had sent prophets to warn people of their sins and also as to how God would punish the people severely if they did not obey him. He confesses that they all have collectively disobeyed God and brought about death and destruction on themselves. In v: 9-12, Daniel prayed “ We have rebelled against you, we have not obeyed the voice of God, nor walked in his teaching, we have transgressed the law of ….” Here is Daniel using events from history to proclaim the backsliding and unfaithfulness of the people. Moreover when Daniel prays he does not stand in the judgment seat and proclaim himself righteous while others are sinners, on the contrary he identified himself with the people. Though he was not guilty of being unfaithful to God, nevertheless he associated himself as corporate sinner, acknowledging that as a member of God’s chosen nation, he has also sinned. Finally he beseeches God to be listen to his prayer and his supplication [ Daniel 9: 17-19] and forgive his people and help Jerusalem to regain its glory. Here is Daniel whose power as a leader is seen through the prayer that he does for his people. Power that is exhibited by a leader through a deliberate humbling of oneself. In a world where leaders tend to behave in the most autocratic manner and flout all rules and ethics to remain in power, it is people like President Museveni and prophet Daniel who teaches us that true power and authority comes when we are ready to humble ourselves, acknowledge our sins and is willing to identify with our community in their fallenness and help them to move forward with repentance and renewed commitment to the Lord.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla