When Daniel found himself in the glittering culture of Babylon, he discovered something remarkable: exile wasn't God's punishment—it was God's assignment. Like Daniel, followers of Jesus today live as "Kingdom exiles," called to flourish right where we are, even when the world around us operates by different values. We don't conform to get ahead or stay quiet to keep the peace. Instead, like Daniel interpreting dreams for kings and refusing to bow to golden statues, we bring healing to our hurting communities. We trust God simply because He's God, choose humility over self-promotion, and pray like our lives depend on it. Living in exile isn't about surviving until we get to heaven—it's about thriving as ambassadors of God's eternal Kingdom right here, right now.
