The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-07-24
4 Mead n.Id Nigh

the rest of the Bible. Why Is this ?
4 Head Held Nigh
The reason Is to be found not
only in the fact that this book has
an intricate and fascinating plot,
not simple like Ruth but compli-
Gated, with kind Of barbaric dash
about 1t. A tale that begins with
a drinking party and ends with
massacre, Is not milk for babes"
This however is not the main rea-
son, one suspects, why the story
has been preserved. 1t is rather that
Esther brings out dramatically
some valuable points about relig-
ion that is not expressed in words
(prayers. liturgies) but in action.
Look at this one theme: "Cour-
age in Crisis" (If the reader Of
this column has not read the book
Of Esther lately, he should do so
before reading on The reader will
think of Queen Esthers courage at
once; but who put tho notion into
her head? It was her cousin and
former guardian Mordecai. Now it
is easy to tell some one else to be
brave Let's you and him fight"
but Mordecai was not that sort
OF person. He had a kind Of cour-
age himself. Refusing as he did to
bow down to Hannah was a risky
thing to do. He could easily get
his own head taken off for it. But
Mordecai had proper sense Of his
personal dignity.
The Timing Of Destiny
II the rest OF the family were
like Mordecai and Esther. what
ever religion they had they did not
talk about it. It would have sound
ed pious for Mordecai to have said.
Il fear God only. therefore | will
not kiss the dust before this man
Haman" But he didn't say that.
1t would have sounded pious. too,
il he had told his young cousin,
God has brought you to the hour
Of destiny" But he didn't say that
either. What he did say was, Who
knows whether you have not come
to the kingdom for such time as
this? He did not profess to know
everything He would not say fatty
that this was the reason why
Esther was queen. wv h o
Knows" he said. 1t might be q
mistake to approach the king
fatal mistake. 1t was . risk-but
worth taking. There is something
very fine here. Courage is always
a matter Of risk. Courage based
on a sure thing Is not courage.
Furthermore, while las always)
Mordecai did not talk about God,
the reader has the feeling that he
must have believed. The Queen
and the Occasion: Mordecai just
felt that they matched too well to
be an accident. But who matched
them? Any one who believes In
destiny has a choice: either an i'm
personal deity, machine, . blind
fate, or else 4 wise and powerful
God. The timing Of destiny is
either an unexplainable happen 30,
or else It comes from the planning
Of God
Courage In Crisis
So the lovely young Queen took
over from her wise old cousin. She
took her, life in her hands for the
sake Of her peoples lives. There
is a great deal more to be said, but
the reader viii think of it, about
Esthers courage. One act Of brav-
cry did not settle the matter
There had to be planning and
scheming after that. Mere cour.
age, without brains, Is not enough
That is why men have extermin.
ated tigers and tigers have not ex-
terminated men. But the thing tc
remember is: Why was Esther
brave in the moment that called
for bravery? It was not that she
was hypnotized or bullied int
courage by Mordecai: not that shs
was a daredevil. She found thu
courage because she knew that OF
it. on her, many lives depended.
Based ON outlines eopyrighted b.
the Division Of Christian Education
National Council 81 the Churches .