Has everything in our past been to prepare us for this moment, for such a time as this? Consider Queen Esther, an orphan Jewess taken into the king’s harem, who later won a beauty contest to become the next queen. Esther’s uncle encouraged her to request mercy after Haman manipulated the king to pass a decree ordering the annihilation of the Jews. Even though approaching the king could cost her life. Esther’s uncle reminded her:

And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

Esther 4:14

As Uncle Mordecai saw it, Esther’s situation was no accident. In God’s providence, she held a position that provided an opportunity to save her people. Esther recognized both her responsibility and the risk she faced. Therefore, she requested her fellow Jews to support her with three days of prayer and fasting. Then she would contact the king. God used Esther to save his chosen people.

An Attempt to Let Ourselves off the Hook

Although we may profess our powerlessness as ordinary people, author Izabella Tabarovsky wrote:

Russians are fond of quoting Sergei Dovlatov, a dissident Soviet writer who emigrated to the United States in 1979: “We continuously curse Comrade Stalin, and, naturally, with good reason. And yet I want to ask: who wrote four million denunciations?” It wasn’t the fearsome heads of Soviet secret police who did that, he said. It was ordinary people.

“The American Soviet Mentality,” Tablet Magazine

Edmund Burke noted, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

For Such a Time as This

Our condition is neither accidental nor coincidental. God has work for us to do, work that only we can do. Work that will demonstrate his love and further his kingdom. What does God want us to do in this place at this time? He has placed us where we are for such a time as this.

It is God who works in [us] to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Philippians 2:13

Where should we take a stand for justice and righteousness? How can we confront the compromises we’ve made with the racism endemic in our society? What can we do to spread God’s love and light in a world darkened by fear and anger? Who needs to receive our care and compassion?

Scripture is clear about our responsibility. God gives his children a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Jesus referred to kingdom-people as peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). Paul tells us to carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). Jesus-followers cannot sit on the sidelines with a clear conscience. Rather than complain, we must challenge the status quo and engage the issues. First, by admitting our complicity; then by listening to those we’ve hurt; and finally, by working to change a mindset and culture that accepts some people as more valuable than others.

Like Esther, believers can face the current crisis with godly courage and commitment. All God’s work in us has been for such a time as this. Our future rides on our response. God is calling, and the One who calls is the One who empowers. How will we answer? Where can we start?