The How of Why

Rumour has it that some atheists think the Bible “unlikely, but a good yarn”. They're half right: it is a tale - about real people, places and events. And the eponymous book of Esther, about a young Jewish orphan elevated to the Persian throne, is triply emblematic.

It focuses on how she serendipitously saves her people from a plot to annihilate them; but my favourite player is Vashti, the disobedient queen she succeeds.

"Who?!"

"The bit-player?"

"She only had like 5 minutes screen time!!"

Well, yes, yes and yes!!!

But remember how everyone thought Kevin Spacey was a fool to play a part that ‘expired’ (double entendre intended) halfway through L.A. Confidential? It turned out to be a career-defining move.

Much is made of Xerses' absolute power; but less of the respect accorded Persian women as land and business owners, who received equal pay with men and which we in 2020 are yet to achieve.

He was "king of kings", but Vashti (born a princess) was court-savvy, and vetoed her drunken, boorish, and ornery husband’s plan to parade her like chattel. The rest is history.

Did the story ‘end well' for Vashti? Outwardly, no. However, ending well is not about what others see or expect. It is simply about God's plans. Vashti probably ended up languishing in a harem, but oh - what an exit!!!

Worldly success = knowing your worth, and leveraging it.

Spiritual success = knowing who you are in Christ Jesus.

Without compromise.

Wanting only to do His will - be it as movie star or extra.

Some very brave women recently opposed the regime of Belarusian dictator, Aleksandr Lukashenko. He survived the skirmish, but their actions will reverberate and they will never again be underestimated. One day there will be a democratically elected female president in Belarus, and mainly because of the sacrifices of women like Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kolesnikova et al.

No event exists in a silo. It might not seem obvious, but there’s always a piece of life’s puzzle solved only by another's actions.

Perhaps, then, both ladies have something to teach us.

Vashti knew her worth, and said, "No", leaving a vacuum ready to be filled.

Esther said, "Yes", discovering her purpose and fulfilling her destiny.

There is a Yoruba prayer - Ọlọrun jọ, ję k’a rin s’asiko - that asks for the grace to be in the right place at the right time. That, rather than countless riches, may determine whether or not we prosper in the true sense of the word.