For who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
Esther 4:14
Dear Friends in Christ,
Esther is one of two books in our Bible that does not mention God. Yet the phrase “for such a time as this” is all through our faith. And God is implied, suggested, presumed, and empowering all through Esther.*
Maybe you don’t mention God in everything that you write. Ideally we all come to believe that we are not alone, and that there is a God who is with us, even during the hardest times.
Meanwhile, For Such a Time As This is the title of our Lenten Study/Discussion book. If you’d like to join the Zoom assembly, Sunday evenings during Lent, please let us know. Because many of us are concerned, not that the King of Persia has a plan to crush our faith, but that many people are having a very hard time and feeling crushed, if not actually being crushed. And this is an issue of faith. It’s why we put energy into supporting the Community Health Workers in Haiti, put energy into the Allston Brighton Food Pantry, and put energy into worship and prayer and Confirmation and so many other things, at this time.
The last Sunday of January I told a story about a time that our small dog was attacked, and asked the question, why do big dogs attack small dogs? And, does the trauma ripple beyond the main victim, and does it linger for seasons and even years?
The first Sunday of February I asked whether the Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, where light can dispel a shadow, or the one in the movie, where a cynical cycle keeps on going, teaches us anything for our faith? (Hint: we proclaim that darkness cannot overcome light.)
It’s hard to know just what will come to pass during this Black History Month. But it is easy to choose how we will approach it:
Gather for the Soul Food Dinner Friday February 6th.
Support the Eastern Service Workers Association by getting tamales for Super Bowl Sunday.
Keep up the good work with our Haitian neighbors, through the church, but explained here: konbitsante.org
Come worship and pray and sing together, bringing children if you have them, to nurture community.
Join the Lenten Book Discussion that starts February 22. (Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 2/18, and we are organizing a community service with Second Church, UCC, with details almost set.)
Help sponsor a fellowship time after worship one Sunday, and bring the theme you wish.
Sponsor a Confirmand, who would like to interview you and learn about your journey.
Some would call these acts of faith, and they are. Some call them acts of resistance, and they can be. Some say they build community or hope or strength; they do. All of them are choices and our faith calls us to make the choices where light overcomes darkness, hope overcomes cynicism, and we speak up when big dogs bite small dogs. As Esther would. As Jesus did. As we are called to do.
Peace,
* (Briefly, things are terrible in Persia when Esther, the Jewish wife of the Indo-Iranian king decides to take the advice of one of his evil henchmen, to kill all the Jews. Spoiler alert: Esther saves them — and bad things happen to the bad advisor. So be it.)