When I served as an AWANA leader, we had Bible Character Night every October. All the kids dressed up as Bible characters instead of goblins, vampires, and witches. The kids would line up and parade by the leaders while we decided who would win the costume awards. I enjoyed the creativity (or lack thereof) displayed in their costumes. There was the “blind man” who literally wore window blinds. One of the lepers always showed up with toilet paper bandages, drawn-on sores, and a pitiful look on his face. Several Marys wearing bathrobes and sandals arrived with their baby Jesus’ wrapped in towels. The scandalous Samaritan woman wore heavy eye makeup and lots of jewelry. One year my two daughters and their friend came wearing my husband’s fire gear posing as three wise men “coming from afar.” (Get it?) And without fail, a few Queen Esthers always showed up wearing purple or blue gowns and plastic bejeweled crowns. Little girls (and big girls) are fascinated by queens and princesses.
I too have been drawn into the story of Queen Esther. In the first two chapters of the book of Esther, the words beauty, lovely, and favor are used repeatedly. That (and Disney) can lead us to romanticize what being a queen is like. We imagine a beautiful woman dressed in royal attire wearing her crown proudly while servants grant her every desire. The king listens to her wisdom and acts accordingly. He loves and cherishes her. Everyone admires her. We forget that the palace can be a dangerous place. Some may become jealous of her. They might stab her in the back figuratively or even literally. Women can be catty. A queen or princess never knows whom she can trust.
As an orphan and an exile, Esther came to the palace with heavy burdens. The government ripped her from her family, and she was essentially raped. Women like her who did not become queen, were used once by the King and then placed with the other concubines. They would not come before the King again unless requested by him. (Maybe they were relieved?) Even Queen Esther could not come into the King’s presence lacking an invitation without risking death. The beauty of the women in that culture was a liability.
Yet, we all long for beauty and admiration, and that is why stories revolving around queens and princesses draw us. Not only do we want beauty in ourselves, but we want to visit lovely places, live in beautiful homes, and drive attractive cars. Beauty is big business! Think of all the hair products, cosmetics, beauty treatments, home décor products, etc. What are we chasing?
We are chasing Shalom. “The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.” (Cornelius Plantinga Jr, “A Breviary of Sin.”)
We are longing for things to be the way God created them to be. We are longing to be physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually whole. Goodness, truth, and beauty are interconnected, and the source is God Himself. He is good and trustworthy and beautiful, and we are made in His image. Imagine how beautiful we and all of Creation would be if we were uncorrupted by sin. Although we will not experience complete wholeness in this life, all of us can experience a measure of wholeness if we lay it all in God’s hands and submit to His authority. Are you withholding anything from Him? Maybe there is generational sin, deception, unforgiveness, bitterness, rebellion, pride, bondage, or fear. These things are ugly and reek of death.
Sometimes people put up walls to protect themselves from others. We do not have to do that with Him. We can lay bare our souls to Him and know He will love us no matter what. He is good and wants good things for us. He can be trusted with every part of ourselves, even the distinctly ugly parts. He can bring healing, life, and beauty.
The Spirit of the
Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has
anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord,
that He may be glorified.
Then they will rebuild
the ancient ruins,
They will raise up the former devastations;
And they will repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
Isaiah 61:1-4
joyce hague
No comments:
Post a Comment