My Apologies to Shadrach and The Guys
Also: My Tips for Visiting Croatia and Something You’ve Never Done with a Banana
Hello! Hope you’re well. Here’s the latest.
My Take On A VBS Classic
It’s one of the most famous stories in the Old Testament. Three Hebrew men walk into a blazing furnace (insert joke about this not being the beginning of a joke) and walk right out again after being protected by a mysterious fourth man who appears in the flames.
My patrons voted for this one big time when I asked which stories they’d like to hear in this season of Holy Ghost Stories. And I’m glad they did—it’s so good. Court intrigue, underdogs you can’t help but root for, insurmountable odds, a surprise ending—this story has it all. It’s so fun to read, and it was a whole lot of fun to tell.
But as I spend time with the text, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t a story about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It was about someone else. (Yes, the story’s about Yahweh in the end—they all are—but that’s not who I’m talking about.) I finally decided that Daniel 3 actually makes King Nebuchadnezzar the protagonist. He’s the one who’s in every scene (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are absent in many key moments), he’s the one whose perspective the story is told from, and he’s the one who changes during the course of the narrative.
I’m fully aware that this may be old news to you, but it was sort of a revelation to me.
Again and again as I spend the bulk of my time these days in the stories Old Testament, I find myself encountering a God who is thinking a lot about (and interacting so often with) outsiders. Whether it’s King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the pagan Ninevites, non-Jewish Jael, or the Gentile prostitute Rahab, Yahweh is consistently stretching out his hand to those outside the bounds of Israel.
He may have chosen the Hebrews, but this God certainly hasn’t given up on the rest of the world. (This, of course, is why He chooses the Hebrews. But that’s easy to lose sight of—it certainly was for them.)
Encountering this theme in the Old Testament as I steep myself in these stories is one thing. But then add to that my family’s current season of nomadism, worshipping with followers of Jesus all over the globe? It’s all powerfully reminded me of how very big God is. He’s up to so much—in churches I’ve never heard of, in the lives of people I’ve never met, on continents I may never visit, in languages I do not understand, and in hearts I’d have given up on long ago.
Anyway, thinking about how Yahweh interacts with Nebuchadnezzar has been a great exercise for me. I think sometimes the way we make Shadrach and the boys the main characters of the story can put a bit of distance between us and God. Their courageous faith is inspiring, sure. But what about those of us who feel we may not be able to muster that kind of holy swagger just yet?
Well, let the record show that Yahweh tells the story in a very particular way: our three heroic friends are protected and celebrated, but the focus of the narrative attention is on the self-aggrandizing guy who’s just not there yet, spiritually speaking. Yahweh sees him and hasn’t given up on him. Even though he’s the “bad guy.”
I love that.
If you haven’t already, check out “The Mystery Man, the Firewalkers, and the New Recruit.”* And share it with your people!
Oh—one last thing: In his commentary on Daniel, Tremper Longman III mentions that the furnace in which the Hebrews end up would likely have been the same one Nebuchadnezzar uses to create the golden image in the first place. That really sparked my imagination; so I chose to begin the episode there at the furnace—sort of a Chekhov’s gun situation. :)
*As I was finishing this episode, my computer died. [A moment of silence, please?] With my computer, of course, went the Episode 6 file. [Would another moment of silence be too much to ask?] Thankfully, I‘d uploaded a rough draft (uneditable, sadly) to the cloud just before I made the final edits—so I went ahead and released that in place of the “finished” episode. All of that to say, do have grace if you hear one or two things that aren’t perfect in this episode, won’t you? Thanks. (I’m typing this email on my phone using my daughter’s little bluetooth keyboard. Soldiering on!)
WE LOVE CROATIA
Croatia! We made it safely (and smoothly 🙌🏼) across the border a couple of weeks ago. Thanks so much to those of you who prayed. God was very generous to us in this transition.
High on our list, of course, was finding a good hike or two. The Velebit Mountains did not disappoint.
Though there’s been quite a bit to do with work recently, Jennifer and I have managed to sneak off to enjoy a couple of meals with friends, and we’ve also been privileged to do some teaching. (Jennifer’s away from me and the girls right now teaching at a women’s conference—the reason we made our way to this fair country.) Last weekend, we presented our Storied Family workshop at a church in Zagreb. We weren’t sure, honestly, if things would translate (culturally speaking). But everyone was wonderful and the content seemed to really connect. What a grace.
I’ve also been asked to preach the last couple of Sundays—first in Zagreb and then in Samobor. It was a great privilege and a real pleasure. This church in Samobor worships in the forest (in the forest!) when the weather’s good, and the weather was perfect on Sunday. We sat in a clearing under the trees and nodded along while everyone sang to the Jesus I know in a language I very much don’t. Great morning.
SONG OF THE SEA
There are some folks we really love in Zagreb and it’s been wonderful to be with them. But the entire time we’ve been inland, the siren song of the coast has been sounding in our ears. This week, we answered the call.
If you’re considering a trip to Croatia (and how could it not have entered your mind at least for a moment at this point), here are a few things to know:
We spent a few days on an incredible island in a gorgeous two-bedroom apartment with a hot tub on the balcony and amazing views for $100/night. Even though Croatia’s not as inexpensive as it once was, it’s still one of the best deals in Europe.
Standard greeting is “Dobor dan” (lit, “Good day”)—pronounce it like you think a Russian would and you’ll pass for a local.
Most folks you interact with at restaurants/shops/etc will know English and will be happy to switch over for you.
Zagreb is a great city—we recommend it.
The coast, though: this is where you want to spend the bulk of your time. Laid back, gorgeous, and it just goes on and on. Rovinj, Split, Zadar, Trogir, Salí, Dubrovnik—you really can’t go wrong. (Unless you head here in July or August and aren’t okay with all of Europe being here with you.) We’ve visited in May and June (both good), but mid-late September seems like the best timing yet. The Adriatic’s still holding onto that summer heat and even I can get into the water without whining too much.
Oh—and if you like coffee, they make good brew here. But it’s going to be impossible to find eight-to-twelve-ounce cups of filtered coffee like Luke serves in Stars Hollow. This stuff is strong and small; mostly espresso-based. (“Bijela kava” is their latte equivalent and it’s great.) Don’t expect to take some to go, though—they don’t roll like that. Sit down and take your time, you animal. (It is true that if you look hard enough, you may find a place that has a paper cup to send you away with. If you do, rejoice! And enjoy that 3 ounce treasure while it’s hot.)
We’ll be in a handful of different spots over the next two weeks or so, benefiting from the kindness of a couple of kingdom friends who’ve invited us to make use of their family getaway houses. We couldn’t be more grateful.
BIG NEWS NEXT TIME.
Don’t miss the next edition of The Latest—I’ll be sharing something that’s quite exciting for every Holy Ghost Stories listener. It has to do with Halloween and music and witches and—wait! I’ve said too much!
Trust me; you’re gonna love it.
WHO’S THE COOLEST PERSON YOU KNOW?
You should definitely share this newsletter with them, don’t you think? I mean, if they’re as cool as you say they are then surely they’d like being a part of this community of Bible-loving, story-loving, pictures-of-beautiful-places-loving folks we’ve got going here.
There are several hundred of you here already; help me bring one or two more aboard. Click the button below; they’ll be glad you did.
(Are you one of those lucky folks who had this email shared with them? Welcome, friend. If you want one of these a couple of times a month, there’s a button down here with your name on it. Well, not your name—you know what I mean.)
4 COOL THINGS
Last but certainly not least, here are a few things of interest I’ve come across lately:
Macbeth — Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand directed by Joel Cohen in a new Macbeth adaptation? Let’s goooooooo.
MasterClass — Got a subscription to this a couple of years ago and I just can’t seem to let it go. Ken Burns’ class on documentary filmmaking is an incredible resource for any storyteller, as is Neil Gaiman’s class on writing fiction. I’ve leveled up my cocktail-making skills, my proficiency with French mother sauces, and my grasp of what makes a perfect piece of electronic dance music (thank you, deadmau5). As a fundamentally curious person, this collection of courses is catnip for me.
If you’re interested, I’ve got three Guest Passes that grant seven days of free access (I get no kickback). You’re welcome to one if nobody’s claimed it yet.
Writing on a banana with a ballpoint pen — Tell me you know about this. I think I was a teenager when somehow I discovered the joys of taking a pen to the outside of an unpeeled banana, and though I figured the internet was awash with information about this, I couldn’t find much at all. No matter— Justin to the rescue: now you know. I’m telling you: there is no smoother writing experience. It’s gotta be a ballpoint and the banana can’t be too ripe, but a Bic pen and a bright yellow piece of fruit will create a moment that will convince you that the Lord must have smiled when the first ballpoint pen was created and thought, “Wait till they try that on a banana.”
Reconstructing the exact sounds of Ancient Greek music — In my research for this episode of HGS (all that pipe and zither music and whatnot), I came across this fascinating effort on the part of a professor at Oxford to recreate what, ostensibly, would be what Jesus and the apostles might have have heard played at various gatherings in the Greco-Roman world (though this stuff would have been better than a hundred years old at that point). Amazing. Be warned, though, that guy Barnaby Brown at 3:46 is super into those deer bone pipes. He may have you searching Amazon to get one on your wishlist.
That’s the latest! Hope you’re blessed by “The Mystery Man, the Firewalkers, and the New Recruit,” and be sure to let me know if you try the banana thing. (What am I saying? Of course you’re going to try it.)
Gratefully,
Justin
Justin I took a writing course about 10 years ago (seems like a lifetime ago) and the teacher had us also write on the outside of a banana. The experience was strange but I liked it. All too often we get stuck in the way things should be. Paper who needs it, banana yep. Made me think different about what I was writing as well.