representational repentance

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in Daniel 9, Daniel repents of the sins of his people.

9:3 So I turned my attention to the Lord God to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 9:4 I prayed to the Lord my God, confessing in this way: “O Lord, great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant with those who love him and keep his commandments, 9:5 we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards. 9:6 We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authority to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, and to all the inhabitants of the land as well. (NET)

and it's always been a puzzling thing to me. how does Daniel's repentance of something he didn't do move God? but at Bible study at work (AKA work church) some griping was heard regarding unethical behavior by leaders. and i thought, stuff like this rolls downhill. if those of us lower down the food chain adopted an unethical approach, justified by those above doing it, then an awful unethical cycle ensues, but if those of us not directly guilty apologize for those above, the cycle is broken. the sin may not go any further. no i didn't enslave any Africans. i didn't kill any Native Americans. but like Daniel, i can apologize for those who's heritage i share who did those things. i can help break a cycle.

i'm sorry for the African slave trade and the exploitation of the Native Americans, especially for those acts done in the name of my Lord Jesus.

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