Esther Moments

Xerxes I was a pagan Persian king in the 5th Century B.C. After deposing the then-queen, he sent out eunuchs to find a replacement. Enter Esther, a Jewish girl of exceptional beauty chosen as the new queen. A grave problem arose when Haman, a prince under his rule, persuaded Xerxes to root out and kill all Jews. Esther had hidden her Jewish identity. She now had a choice: Remain quiet in the hopes of saving herself or speak up and possibly lose her life as a result. In urging her to save her people, Mordecai (her cousin) uttered these famous words: "Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther risked her life and saved her people.

I believe that every Christian has Esther moments, some more important than others. And at each moment we can remain quiet in the hopes of saving ourselves or we can speak up and possibly lose respect, friends, even our jobs. Fortunately for Christians in America, we will not lose our lives. But some of us may lose our freedom. However, our brothers and sisters in Christ in other parts of the world face Esther moments all the time. And some do risk -- and even lose -- their lives in the process.

I submit that American Christians have an Esther moment right now. We face the prospect of the most pro-abortion presidency in our nation's history. Please don't flip out on me for being such a killjoy on the day of his inauguration; I am just telling it like I see it. On abortion, Barack Obama is more radical than the National Abortion Rights Advocacy League (NARAL). He has also promised that the first thing he would do once in office is to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which will eliminate every single restriction on abortion in every single state. (More here). In spite -- and perhaps because -- of all this, I readily acknowledge that we must pray for our president, as the Bible commands. But I digress.

So that's it, friends. I believe God has prepared us for a time such as this. In the upcoming weeks, I will highlight specific Esther moments. From bioethics to the biological family, we will be tested. I pray God gives us the courage to emulate Esther.