Esther 3-4
"Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, 'Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?'" - Esther 4:13-14
Haman the Agagite has persuaded King Ahasuerus to order the killing of all Jews in the Persian empire. The Jewish people are distressed and in mourning, among them, Mordecai. Mordecai sends for his cousin, Esther the queen, and informs her about Haman's plot and the king's edict. Esther has a huge decision to make. Will she risk her life to go before the king and attempt to save her people?
Father, in New Zealand and beyond, what are the things your Church must not be silent about? There are so many injustices and evil political decisions in our world. It would be difficult to speak up about them all. Is there anything specifically that I, or we, need to speak up about?
"The sanctity of human life comes first. In Esther's case, the survival of the Jewish people was at issue. So always speak up for the sanctity of human life, especially the issue of abortion. Other principles to speak up about are the traditional family as the basic building block of society, religious liberty, the rule of law, equality before the law, and private property. You are expected to use the abilities, gifts, and talents I have given you to speak up in the public square on these issues. Many Christians are silent and say nothing when it comes to injustice. Don't be one of them. Make time in your schedule for matters of justice. Work on articulating reasons why New Zealand should adhere to time-honoured principles of justice. There is a reward for those who speak up about what is good, right, and true."
Father, in my small area of influence, help me to speak up for what is right, especially the sanctity of human life. I am concerned about artificial intelligence and transhumanism and what they will mean for human life. Help me not to be afraid. Help me also to speak up about these things. Please keep us human beings from destroying ourselves. I pray for a change of heart among political leaders, especially in China. Please protect us from the authoritarian manipulative elite spoken about by Francis Schaeffer. We see these things coming. If we do not speak up for the sanctity of human life now, we likely will have missed our chance. It is a sloppy slope we are on. So give us wisdom and courage, Father. In Jesus' name, amen.
- Jeff Coleman