There is a very fine line between stubbornness and courage, as between faith and foolishness. Like other stories of martyrs, the story of the three young men in the book of Daniel gives us pause. Were they full of true faith or simply foolish? If God saved them, then of course their faith would be vindicated. But the young men went further: even if God were not to save them from the fire they would still not consent to save their lives by worshipping idols made by human hands.

Their stance points to a deeper level of existence where we must face the truth of our faith and the firmness of our grasp upon the word of life. If God saved the three young men, then of course it would be easy to believe in God. It is always easy to believe in a time of consolation, of spiritual wellbeing, when our prayer is full of spiritual light and joy. But if God were not to save the three young men, then ...? When we face the silence of God, the absence of God, then faith becomes a more difficult road to walk. The voice of desolation will mock us and call upon us not to be so foolish as to go on believing.