Continuing our journey in Easter-tide, we hear a miraculous story from Acts (9:36-43). Peter prays for a woman named Tabitha (Dorcas) who was devoted to good works and acts of charity. She has died and her friends send for Peter who is preaching nearby. He arrives and is shown tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made. Peter prays for her and she revives. Because of this many believed in the Lord.
Dorcas has a new chance to live and do good in the name of
the Lord. She is not the only one in the Bible to get a new life. Bathsheba and
Esther do not physically die, but they experience a death of their expectations
and life as they knew it.
Esther also has her world upended by a king’s whim. When
Darius desires a wife to replace Vashti, he has local virgins rounded up for
him to try out. After the preparation regime, Esther pleases the king.
She becomes his queen and favorite wife. However, that doesn’t mean she is free
to come to him anytime she wants. It is all up to the king. When she is faced
with the choice of going to him to plead for the Jewish people, she must decide
if she will risk her life or let them be killed. With cunning she confronts
Haman who wants to destroy the Jewish people and secures safety for them.
Both women end up doing good even when they had seemingly no
choice in how their lives were being run. As I state in Sacred Story: Yours,
Mine, Ours, “Bathsheba and Esther call us to live into the truth our
Sacred Story, rise above shame, look for justice, and experience resilience.
Bathsheba and Esther did not expect to be catalysts for God’s work. Their
God-given courage and yes, beauty, brought change and justice into unjust
situations. Our Sacred Story embodies all our gifts. We are meant to use
those gifts for justice and truth for ourselves and for others who may not have
a voice.”
We can work for justice, like Esther did, no matter what our
circumstances. In the book, I said, “Both Bathsheba and Esther were the voice
of God to those in power in their time. Bathsheba stood up for herself by
calling out David and saying, “this is your child.” Ultimately David did the
‘right thing’ by taking her into his household...Both Esther and Bathsheba were
able to find their worth in truth telling. We can share our Sacred Story when
we learn to believe that God is in all Sacred Story and is all Love” Verna
Dozier, in The Dream of God: A Call to Return writes, “Faith is a
straightforward decision for the kingdom of God. To believe in God is to
believe that goodness is more powerful than evil, and truth is stronger than
falsehood. To believe in God is to believe that in the end goodness and truth
will triumph over evil and falsehood.”
This is a truth we need to take to heart, perhaps esp. in
times when falsehood masquerades as truth and evil seems to triumph. This has
been true throughout most of history, of course. In my book, I note, “It takes
courage to confront injustice in any form. It takes faith to trust that God
will bring healing and resilience even in the worst situations. Sometimes
the best we can do is listen…When we seek Love and Faith and Justice, we [are
building] Beloved Community.” Choosing faith and justice and love over
falsehood, evil, and hate is what it means to be working for the Kingdom of
God.
