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Owen and Mzee are the best of friends . . . and the oddest of couples. Owen is a baby hippo, rescued from tsunami waters by rangers in Kenya. Mzee is a tortoise over 100 years old, living in the wildlife preserve where Owen was brought to safety. Traumatized by the loss of his mother, the 300-pound toddler found Mzee to be a more than suitable surrogate, following the tortoise every second of the day. He even shows aggression whenever a possible threat approaches Mzee, the same reaction other baby hippos would show on their mothers' behalf.
Daniel, too, was displaced from his home at a young age. And he showed a surprising affection for an even less likely individual. Daniel had great compassion for Nebuchadnezzar, the very man responsible for his abduction and the exile of his people.
Our one significant glimpse of Daniel's emotional bond to his king is preceded by Nebuchadnezzar's account of another dream. Once again he asked his wise men for help interpreting the vision, and again his servants were unable to do so. And again Daniel was the last man the king asked for help. This might indicate interpreting dreams occurred regularly in the royal court, and Daniel may have been called in only for the toughest assignments.
The dream itself is strange in that it begins with a description of a magnificent tree followed by a heavenly proclamation to have the tree cut down, but the voice from heaven goes on to speak of the “tree” as if it were a man. The latter portion of the dream doesn't seem at all mysterious, clearly spelling out that whoever this tree was meant to symbolize, he was about to lose his mind. It's possible that the wise men had a pretty good idea what the dream meant but were afraid to tell the king.
The dream upset Daniel, and the king knew it. The idea that his king was about to suffer such a humiliating affliction evoked compassion and sympathy in Daniel. Daniel didn't just obey and serve Nebuchadnezzar, he loved him as well.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This world has no shortage of people who are hard to love, and oftentimes authority figures in our lives fit that description quite well. Today, move beyond evaluating your outward behavior toward your superiors. Examine the attitude of your heart. If you are harboring resentment or disdain for an employer, pastor, or government leader, ask God to soften your heart. Don't just submit to people in authority; God will help you find it in your heart to love them.
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