If you grew up in Sunday School like I did, you've probably heard of Queen Esther.
Queen Esther was enjoying living her palace life, but things started to change. Esther’s older cousin, Mordecai, made an enemy out of the king’s right-hand man, Haman, so Haman decided to exterminate Mordecai and all of the other Jewish people in the kingdom. Mordecai was living in fear and told Esther that she had to go talk to her husband, the king, in order to prevent the massacre from occuring.
Esther struggled with what to do because she was risking angering her hubby if she went to see him without being invited. Esther was very aware that when his previous wife angered him by doing the same exact thing… that queen had been banished! While Esther was contemplating her decision, Mordecai was very honest with her about her future:
“...Do not think that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” Esther 4:13-14
“The Book of Esther begins by portraying Esther as beautiful and obedient, though a relatively passive figure. Throughout the story, she evolves into a character who takes a decisive role in her own future and that of her people.” 1
Queen Esther evolved from being a relatively passive figure who didn't seem to be in danger since she was living in the palace and was married to the king. She evolved into Valiant Esther who refused to stay silent. She was willing to rise up, willing to intervene, and willing to intercede for the deliverance of the Jews during that time in history...during just such a time as that.
In our country, we are once again living in a time when groups of people are living in fear and are in need of relief and deliverance. People are rising up to intervene and intercede on behalf of others. Many other people want to rise up, intervene, and intercede, but they are struggling because they don’t like to have to risk angering others with uncomfortable conversations. They aren't sure about making phone calls to politicians. They're afraid that something might happen if they go to a protest or a march. Plus, our country is becoming very aware that the current government is angry with those of us who are standing up and speaking out. Concerns are rising up about what the future holds.
It can be scary at first; however, it gets easier each time you make a phone call, each time you protest, each time you march. Each time you intervene. Each time you intercede. It gets easier.
My own personal encouragement to speak up and speak out is based on Esther 4:13-14: Do not think that just because you live in North Texas and you’re a middle-class white woman that you will escape any more than all the others…Who knows? Perhaps you have come to this space…for just such a time as this.
First They Came
By Pastor Martin Niemoller
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
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1 (Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann; Perkins, Pheme (2007). The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19528880-3.)
