Two-Face

I'm alive, I just feel like dog-lick, as my wife likes to say. My counts are at their lowest point (as expected) and I feel blah in general. Much like when you feel like you are coming down with the flu. You don't have all the symptoms yet. You're not incapacitated, but you know it's coming. They are giving me my fifth platelet infusion right now. My nurse tells me that feeling this way is a sign my stem cells are working, and that's a good sign. My guess is I will need more platelets and a blood transfusion before this is over, but they are still projecting my release early next week.

I have learned an important new lesson about cancer treatment. The importance of shaving the head BEFORE all the hair starts falling out. I thought shaving the head was mostly symbolic, with most of the hair coming out all at once. Shaving just made it all even and got the trauma of losing your hair over with quickly. Alas, No.

Mine is falling out a little at a time. And the loss is not evenly distributed. It's here and there. I look like I have mange... Even worse, the hair on the left side of my forehead has rubbed off on my pillow, but not the hair on the right side, so I look like two different people. I'm Harvey Dent! They have offered to shave my head now, but I think I need to wait until my counts are higher and the risk of bleeding from getting nicked is reduced. I don't mind having no hair-- shaved bald is my preferred look- but this half and half looks a little too comical! "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity..."

As I think about Harvey Dent, the comic book villain and Batman foe known as Two-Face, I am reminded of some of us as we go through life. We show our religious face in church on Sunday morning, but a different face during the week. Especially at work. Oh, you can't talk about God at work, you just can't! Why not?

There are a number of examples in the Bible of people who lived their faith at work, with huge consequences. In Daniel Chapter 6, a decree is made that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next 30 days, other than to king Darius, would be thrown into a den of lions. This decree was written specifically to entrap Daniel. Daniel was aware of it, but chose to publicly pray anyway. He was caught and thrown into the den of lions, much to the distress of the king, who was not allowed to change any decree, once written.

So the king gave the order and they brought Daniel and threw him into the Lion's Den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually rescue you!" A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lion's den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the LIVING God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"'

Notice that the King didn't say "Servant of the Hebrew god." (There were gods everywhere. Every people group had gods. Sometimes multiple gods. ) No, he called Daniel a servant of the LIVING God. In contrast to all those other gods who were NOT living. Also, how did he know that Daniel served his God continually? Because he did so at work. In the king's presence. In the imperial court. King Darius is so impressed that he issued another decree:

"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the LIVING God, and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end..."

Earlier in his (career?), Daniel served in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, and gave the great king both the dream he had forgotten, and the interpretation. Daniel 2 tells us:

"The Great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered an offering and incense be presented to him. The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for your were able to reveal this mystery."

King Nebuchadnezzar actually fell prostrate before Daniel! This just isn't done! Other people fall prostrate before mighty King Nebuchadnezzar upon entering the court, not the other way around! Why? Because Nebuchadnezzar was paying homage, not to Daniel, but to who Daniel represented. The God of Gods and Master of kings. Daniel later represented The Living God before Nebuchadnezzar's son, King Belshazzar, and before King Darius and King Cyrus.

Nebuchadnezzar later was given a dream warning of judgment of insanity until he acknowledged that the Most High God ruled in the kingdoms of men and gave them to whomever he wished. Daniel 4:33-34 tells us:

Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

"At the end of that time, I Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified Him- Who- Lives- Forever..."

Did you catch that? Nebuchadnezzar just made up his own name for God. How cool is that!

In Genesis 41:44-45 we find Joseph representing The Living God before Pharaoh. How do we know this? Because of the name Pharaoh gave Joseph after he interpreted the dreams and is made Prime Minister.

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt." Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, Priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

The name Zaphenath-Paneah means "God Speaks and He LIVES." Usually names are given to indicate the named one's character. But this name was all about GOD's character. As reflected by His servant Joseph. So tell me, when we are at work, do our co-workers associate us with the Living God?

Don't be Two-Face.

Me, in my upcoming role as Harvey Dent.