Blessed be You who Answers Me

“Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you.” (Esther C: 25)

The ruler of the Persian Empire, King Ahasuerus, was irascible.  When Queen Vashti refused a request, he cast her aside as a warning lest other wives defy their husbands.  The king then scoured the kingdom for her replacement.  The beauty of young Esther caught his eye, and she was made queen.  When cataclysm struck, Esther was there to intercede for her people.

Scheming officials persuaded the king to murder the entire Jewish population.  Genocide was decreed: all men, women, and children must die on a given day.  Mordecai, guardian to Esther, begged her to intervene.  A woman chosen for her youth and beauty must confront the king.  If seen as insolent, Esther would surely die.

Great fear flattens us.  We can hardly breathe or move.  Our limbs drop like bricks.  Dread engulfs us.  What was solid dissolves.  No ground remains to stand upon.  We fall into emptiness.  No one is there to catch us.  We are abandoned.

With her maids, Esther fell to the ground.  She cried, trembled, and surrendered to God.  Esther pounded and the door was opened.   When she first approached the throne, Esther fainted.  But she persisted.  Her words touched the mercurial king’s heart.  He listened.  His orders were revoked and the Jewish people were saved.  Instead, murder was unleashed on their enemies throughout the empire.  The bloodbath was redirected, not cancelled.

The Gospel tells us to fear not.  Do not be afraid.  That isn’t easy.  Uneasiness and ambiguity creep in.  Where is the firm ground to stand on?  When our familiar world dissolves into fear, we plead: God, I need you.  I am undone.  We cry from the heart.

This is the season of Purim.  On this holiday, the Jewish people celebrate “deliverance from mortal danger.”  Esther did not practice detachment.  She was not resigned to fate.  She begged God for help.  This trust was her anchor in the sea of fear.  Esther acted because others depended on her.  We are in this together.