Proper 21B, September 30, 2018
Esther 7: 1-6,9-10;9: 20-22
Psalm 124, James 5: 13-20
Mark 9: 38-50
St Thomas the Apostle
The Rev’d Joy A Daley
What a week it has been. A popular actor who starred in a TV series about family, goes to jail, convicted of unspeakable acts. A judge is accused of using power to assault women. A woman comes forward to speak her truth fearfully but steadily. Members of two political parties argue, provoke and condemn. The media brings in experts to comment, to dissect to offer judgments. Meanwhile the world watches and reacts. Hotlines are overloaded with calls from survivors as vivid memories are triggered and old wounds are opened. Vulnerability and fear are once again experienced. As we watch the news, we may ask, “What is the world coming to?” What is the way forward for God’s people in an atmosphere of destruction and aggression? The pain is sharp as we realize how far the world is from the ideals of our faith. It is discouraging as we reflect on this week’s reminders of our brokenness, but unfortunately it is not that these current issues are new. We remember the confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, the impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton and the resignation of Richard Nixon in the aftermath of Watergate. The list goes on and on. We, with the ancient psalmist may be moved to raise our voices, perhaps wanting to even shout the words of Psalm 13 “How long O Lord ….How long shall we have perplexity in our minds and grief in our hearts day after day?” For the things that we see over and over are truly perplexing. It grieves us to realize we are part of a culture where hate and violence and victimization seem to win. Where is God in the complexity and pain that is broadcast over and over again on the TV, the Radio, Social Media. Guilty, Innocent, Right, Wrong, Liar, Truth-teller. We all make our decisions and judgments. But where do we do from here? Shall we just throw up our hands and dejectedly go about our business? As followers of Jesus I don’t think we can. As God’s people we are called to another way of living. If we are truly Resurrection people, people of hope, we are called to do more than make our own judgments and be resigned to the evil of the world. As part of the Jesus movement we are called to the Way of Love, to be a part of transforming the world as we know it. Not all at once and never on our own but with each other and with God’s help. When we look to the scriptures we remember that God’s people have always struggled with oppression and their own sinfulness. The community has always been such a complicated mix of good and evil. And God is always working and present even when God’s absence may be what we experience at the moment.
It is both interesting and providential that we have a scripture reading today from a book in the Bible that only appears once every 3 years, The Book of Esther. One of the reasons that this book is so seldom heard from is because God isn’t mentioned, neither is prayer or the law. And yet God is present in this book, working and weaving though complicated circumstances even when God’s name is not mentioned. Esther is the heroine of this book as she raises her voice and takes a stand. It tells the story of Haman who had a powerful role in the king’s court. He had a plan to destroy in a single day, all the Jews living in the Persian Empire. He wanted to do this out of hatred for the Jewish servant Mordecai. But Esther who has been chosen Queen knows about this plot in the background. We hear in our reading today that the King asks Esther what she wants. He will even give her half of the kingdom if that’s what she desires. But instead of going for that, Queen Esther puts herself out there and exposes the plot, asks for her own life and that the lives of her people, so the Jews can be saved. She could have ignored the plight of her people but instead she steps out, she stands up in the situation in which she finds herself. She speaks her truth at great risk and as a result the people who have been oppressed and were innocent victims are now saved from destruction. God is not named but is surely working in this story as Esther stood up and did what she could. It wasn’t in the form of a spectacular miracle like the parting of the Red Sea. God’s message worked through this very human person to transform what was, to liberate the oppressed. The whole world was not changed, but she made an impact where she was through using her gifts to transform her corner of the world. There was still violence then and we know there is still violence now. But as God’s people we cannot resign ourselves to a place of powerlessness. We like Esther are called to raise our voices where we are and speak our truth, the truth of God’s way rather than the world’s way, doing what we are called to do in a determined, faithful way.
I think of all those voices raised over the years that made Marriage Equality a reality this year. The people who were willing to stand up over the years in the face of violence, even violence within their own churches. I think of those willing to share their stories with conviction and courage on the video we made this past summer, like our own Bob Moos and David Flick.
In Chapter 4 of the book of Esther when she is deciding what to do when the plight of the Jews hung in the balance, Mordecai who is like a father to Esther says to her, “If you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter….Who knows perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”
Injustice and violence will continue to swirl around in our world. Some people will lie, some will tell the truth. Some will use power for good and some for destruction. In the face of such challenges do we bow our heads and submit to the darkness? Will we let our souls be paralyzed? Shall we spew our own words of hatred? Or can we take the words that Esther heard and make them our own. “Who knows? Perhaps we have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” May we like Esther witness to God’s way, speak our truth and act with courage.
