Esther's privilege

The Jewish festival of Purim takes place this week, lasting from sundown on the 25th to sundown on the 26th. It celebrates the deliverance of Jews from evil Haman's plot to destroy them as recounted in the book of Esther. With feasting, drinking, costumes, and joy, Jews gather to remember God's power over evil and the far-reaching impact of one person's courage. 

The story begins with a banquet given by King Ahasuerus (likely Xerxes). After six days of drinking and feasting, the king commanded that his wife, Queen Vashti, come show off her beauty for all the guests. When she refuses, she is punished and cast out of the king's presence, lest any other women in the kingdom get the idea to disobey their husbands, too. New young women were sought out for the king, undergoing training and beauty treatments; Esther was the one the king loved most, and so she was made queen. At the advice of her relative Mordecai, Esther doesn't tell anyone that she is a Jew.

 

Charles F. Blakeman "Esther and Ahasuerus", from Art in the Christian Tradition

Later on, angered that Mordecai wouldn't bow to him, one of the king's officials, Haman, plots to kill all the Jews. When Mordecai hears of the plan, he is distraught and begs Esther to intervene, even though she is not permitted to go before the king without first being summoned. But Mordecai says, "Do not think that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for such a time as this" (Esther 4:13-14). 

As the story goes on, Esther summons her courage and goes before the king. Evil Haman is hanged on the very gallows he had built to punish Mordecai, the Jews are saved, and Mordecai is elevated to leadership under the king. 

As I reflect on the story of Esther, I find myself returning to Mordecai's words. They are a reminder for Esther, and for each of us, that silence in situations of injustice might seem like self-preservation, but in the long run will not save us. By virtue of her position in the king's household, Esther has an enormous amount of privilege. Though it is risky, she can (and does) leverage that privilege to intercede on behalf of the vulnerable, who happen to be her own people.

Over the past year, discussions of racism and privilege have received heightened focus in our country. Many people recognized, perhaps for the first time, the often unseen ways that race and skin color affect the way we move through the world. White privilege is less about individual actions than it is about the systems and structures that govern our lives. While I didn't choose to benefit from white privilege, the reality is that my skin color helps pave the way for my success - in the opportunities available to me, the stereotypes others attribute to me, and the lack of resistance I experience. 

Privilege afforded to me because of my white skin is not something I can choose to opt out of, and feeling guilty about it changes nothing. What I can do, however, is what Esther did - use my privilege, even when it's uncomfortable or risky, to speak up on behalf of the vulnerable. That includes both standing against racism in daily interactions and working for systemic changes to racist laws and practices in our community, state, and nation. Perhaps I will find that my opportunities, benefits, and privileges are well-suited for "such a time as this."


Bonus resources: 

• Watch Mayim Bialik explain Purim and the story of Esther here.
• Celebrate Purim with the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh and Sofa Spirituality with an event at 5pm on 2/25/2021 - The Story of Purim: Drowning Out Evil With Laughter.
• The "invisible knapsack" - a description of white privilege from Peggy McIntosh. 
• An article and study guide from Living Lutheran about unpacking white privilege, particularly as it relates to members of the ELCA.