And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14).

Which way would you run?

You might remember this story a decade ago. It’s a tragic story that’s been played out far too many times in this country. On June 5, 2014, Aaron Ybarra walked into Otto Miller Hall on the campus of Seattle Pacific University armed with a shotgun. Within minutes he had killed one student and seriously injured three others. The carnage and tragedy of that story would have been far worse had it not been for the courage of Jon Meis.

Jon Meis, a senior engineering student, was working in Miller Hall on June 5th. As the gunman paused to reload Meis rushed in and took him down. Shortly after that incident Jonathan Parnell wrote a blog post under the title “Would You Tackle the Gunman?” In the all-too-familiar stories of school shootings, analysis tends to plumb the life and psyche of the shooter. Parnell’s focus was different. He raised the question of courage.

Parnell observed that when we read of actions like those of Jon Meis questions surface deep within us. Would I have tackled the gunman? 

What would you feel? Which way would you run? Where does courage come from?

“For Such A Time As This”

In the story of Esther, the best-known verse of the entire ten chapters comes when Esther is confronted with a decisive moment in her life and the courage required to act (4:14). Esther’s cousin Mordecai, with sober language, reminds her of her unique position and the opportunity it affords to save her people. He suggests that her rise to a place on the royal court in Persia was not an accident. “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

That’s usually what we think of when we think of courage: the critical decisive event that requires bold action. We think of the “for such a time of this” moment.

But in his blog post Parnell argued that courage is not a sudden explosion of heroism that we discover in a crisis. Rather, courage is cultivated in ordinary daily life, in repeated and simple acts of sacrifice and service.

Parnell writes: “The big moment of courageous action doesn’t occur in a vacuum, but has behind it tiny moments of simple sacrifice that have been trending in that direction all along. In other words, if we can’t wash dishes and change diapers, we shouldn’t kid ourselves with the idea that we’d step in front of a bullet.” 

The Hand of Providence

Where do you need courage today?

A couple of days ago we observed that God is never mentioned in the book of Esther. Nevertheless, the fingerprints of God are all over this story. God is quietly at work, ordering events, redeeming the crises, using flawed people to accomplish his purposes. This is the providence of God. In her fine commentary on Esther, Professor Karen Jobes explains that “when we speak of God’s providence, we mean that God in some inscrutable way governs all creatures, actions, and circumstances through the normal and ordinary course of human life” (43).    

If we were truly convinced of this, knowing it deep down in our bones, how would it change the way we live? One way is that we might be people of greater courage, less anxious, ready to risk and trust outcomes to our sovereign God.

You may be facing a critical moment in your life right now, a decisive moment that calls for action. You could be at a crossroads in your career, dealing with an illness that will demand a fight, struggling to save your marriage. Or maybe not. You could be at the beach this week, soaking in sunlight and sleeping later than usual. James 1:5 says that if anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask God “who gives generously” what we need. Perhaps the same is true of courage. Ask God for the courage you will need for this day.

Regardless of what this day holds for you, courage will be called for. The kind of courage that calls you to step up and speak up as a follower of Jesus. Live the day boldly – not because you are unusually brave, but because God is relentlessly faithful.      

Prayer:

Gracious God, we ask you today for courage. Some of us are burdened with the weight of life. Others are bored with its routines. Whatever this day holds, make us bold to live as your people in this world, ready for whatever you have for us. Confident in your providential care for us. Encourage us by the gift of your Spirit, we ask in Jesus’s name. Amen.