Because I have a captive audience when giving the evening prayer I try to respect people of other faiths and not make explicitly Christian references (Which is why Jesus’ name doesn’t appear in the prayers, though I find others of His names to use.) I also can’t take for granted that the Sailors listening are familiar with the stories that I tell, which is fair enough when it comes to cultural references, but is troubling when it is Bible stories that are unfamiliar. The advantage, though, in the lack of Biblical literacy is that folks can’t reject the story out of hand just because it came from the Bible, while those who may know that this story comes from Daniel don’t mind the reference. This is why I don’t always specify my sources.
Watch Your Feet
There’s an ancient story told about a king named Nebuchadnezzar who had a dream. In his dream he saw a giant statue of man, the various parts of which were composed of different materials. Its head was made of gold, its chest and arms of silver, and its belly and legs were made of bronze. Its feet, however, were most interesting because they were made of a mix of both iron—a hard and durable material, and clay—which can be hard but also very brittle. The king saw in his dream a stone strike the feet of the mighty statue, and because of the clay’s brittleness the feet shattered, bringing the entire statue down into a pile of rubble that crumbled to dust and blew away. If you’ve heard of heroes with feet of clay, it is from this story that the expression comes.
But this story isn’t the only one we have about weak feet. The idea also shows up in ancient Greek literature which tells the story of the hero Achilles, who was invulnerable—except for his heel. Though small, it was the weakness that caused his demise.
These and other similar stories speak to a deep human understanding of the need for a strong foundation, not just physically, but morally and ethically too. The values we hold are the foundation upon which we make the decisions that direct the course and shape of our lives. If we don’t know what those values are then our foundation—our feet—is made of clay and our world is likely to come crashing down around us when life throws a rock at us.
Take a moment tonight to think about what your values are. What is it that is most important to you? Career? Family? God? Do the choices you make reflect what you say that you value? If not, you better watch your feet.
LET US PRAY
Heavenly King, it’s so easy to go from one choice or decision to the next that we seldom take time to reflect on why we make the choices we make or if those choices reflect the things we claim we value. Help us tonight to think about and understand how our values are reflected in the choices that we make. Help us also to lay a strong foundation, not one made of clay, but one made of strong values upon which we can build the moral and ethical framework necessary for a durable and resilient psyche, that is strong enough to endure the storms of life. We can do this in your wisdom and power, for you are a good God who loves mankind, and to you we give glory, honor, and worship now and forever, and to the ages of ages.
AMEN
An Orthodox Priest Abroad 