Silent No More

And who knows but that you have come here for such a time as this?

I had a lovely time last week with the Shepherd’s Tree Cohort in our annual retreat. It was time to connect and chat about things that matter. I really enjoyed it and have grown to really care about these folks where were all strangers to me when we began this journey together. So I was busy retreating and didn’t get a blog post out last week, my apologies.

Today I wanted to share a juxtaposition of two verses that really struck me recently.

First of all, the familiar one in Timothy:

¹¹ A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. ¹² I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. -1 Timothy 2:11,12 NIV

Then here is the second verse in Esther when the Jews were threatened by Haman who was plotting to kill them all and steal their possessions. At the news, Mordecai persuades Esther:

¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” -Esther 4:14 CEB

Isn’t it an interesting juxtaposition? The quote about her “She must be quiet” vs the quote to her “if you remain silent at this time” Did you notice the “at this time” on the end? I did. Some times or seasons are for being quiet and other times or seasons are for breaking that silence.

This is one of those times. Friend, it’s a kairos time for breaking the silence!

Esther was a young Hebrew woman who became married to the King of Persia (modern day Iran) during the time of the Persian Empire. The Anabaptist Study Bible gives important contextual information: In a time when family provided protection, Esther was an orphan. In a world dominated by men, Esther was a woman. In the Persian Empire, where Zoroastrianism was the state religion, Esther was a Jew. Esther was vulnerable in these three ways, and even though she was married to the king of Persia, she lived with the dangers of minority status in the Empire.

Persia was controlled by those who used wealth, power, fame, and sex to control, dominate, and humiliate people made in the image of God. Sadly, we’re also experiencing this in modern times. The United States is being deconstructed, destabilized, and put in economic peril - all in the space of only 100 days. Unfortunately, the destabilization has not been limited to our country and our stock market, it’s been world wide.

It’s hard to think about speaking out when we know that immigrants that have spoken out have been deported - some to Gulag torture prisons. We have also seen cases where citizens of the United States Citizens have also been deported. So we, like Esther, have our various vulnerabilities. Nevertheless, according to the Constitution of the United States of America (and all human decency) the government does not have the right to kidnap people without due process.

We find danger if we speak out against this present darkness as individuals. But perhaps it’s different if we get connected and work together. There’s a verse from the Psalms that comes to mind:

“The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:” -Psalm 68:11 NIV

Jesus came to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners, and recovery of sight to the blind, and to liberate the oppressed.

Lord, we pray for liberation for those who are oppressed! Lord Jesus, set the prisoners free! Stand against the work of domination and bullying and hide your people in the shadow of your wings. Make the eyes of the Gestapo blind, and may the locks on prison doors fail. May all efforts to abduct individuals and deconstruct families in my city fail, in the name of Jesus. Protect your people, Lord!

Lord, many of your daughters have been silenced in this generation, but you call us to rise up and find our voice. You did not bring us into such a time as this for us to shrink back in fear. May the great throng of us be too many to count, a vast movement of women who know who and whose we are!

Lord, thank you for calling forth your daughters to speak out with one voice to protect your people from the evil plot against them. We call for compassion and wisdom to be released in the body of Christ. Release fresh discernment that women can see what is and is not Kingdom. Bring the truth to LIGHT Lord, and fill us with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. There is no law against things like this.” -Galations 5:22 CEB

Dear one, we have been taught that we must be quiet, but I tell you the truth, this is not the time to remain silent. Yes, relief and deliverance for God’s people may arise from another place, but the cost to each of us may be higher than we would like to admit. This is not the time for silence.

To be clear, I’m not here to defend democracy or capitalism, and I’m not challenging you to speak in defense of those world systems either. I’m here because the Kingdom of God is not expanded by abducting, conquering, invading, seizing, occupying, annexing, or expropriating human beings. We are all made in the image of God, no matter where we were born. The Kingdom of God is founded on righteousness and justice. And this plays out in each of us loving our neighbors and doing what is right for the entire community, rather than what is right for the greedy few.

I was amazed as I considered the Timothy text silencing women juxtaposed with the Esther text that challenges us to break our silence. I’m starting to see Empire all over the text in places I hadn’t really noticed before. And the story from Esther is not some feel-good fairy tale, it’s a story of how God infiltrates earthly power structures of cruelty and domination to rescue and set the oppressed free.

“Let my people go!” -Moses

“When we struggle for human rights, for freedom, for dignity, when we feel that it is a ministry of the church to concern itself for those who are hungry, for those who have no schools, for those who are deprived, we are not departing from God’s promise. He comes to free us from sin, and the church knows that sin’s consequences are all such injustices and abuses. The church knows it is saving the world when it undertakes to speak also of such things.” - Oscar A. Romero

Speak friend. Do not keep silent. This is the kairos time to find your voice.

Sending love your way,

Carmen

I leave you with this blessing

I release you in the power of the Holy Spirit into the world God so loves, to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with the God, who sees the goodness and grace in you and walks proudly with you.