A Lioness’s Dance With Death

My mind is flicking back now about 2500 years to the days of the beautiful Jewish Queen Esther, super-glam of the ancient Persian Empire, surrounded by jostling and ambitious men, each vying for position, prestige and honour. Indeed, she had everything ... luxury, acclaim and clearly the King’s favour. But, she was not afraid to lose it all.

Perhaps I should rephrase that last comment. She probably was afraid but true courage outstrips fear and she certainly had some of that. See her now, risking life, risking everything for the sake of  God’ s honour, God’s people.  “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4: 16 )  were her immortal words before she took the precarious step of entering the king’s presence uninvited in order to save her people from annihilation as the result of a monstrous ruling.

What would have been the headline that day? Death or glory? Esther’s dance with death: subtitle: queen risks life to gain audience with king.

I admire people, always, who trembling, embrace courage, risking reputation, honour for something higher, more important than themselves. Superstar Esther, you really did become a superstar in my eyes that day. And there have been many, many more like you since - usually hidden, unrecorded – stars, superstars. Heaven will reveal them.

O for the courage that outstrips fear. Esther prevented a catastrophe on a vast scale. What can be achieved if we step out, push past our dreadful enemy, Fear, take Courage by the arm and embrace the words of a Lioness: “If I perish, I perish?”

Thoughts from the book of Esther, Old Testament.