“IF I PERISH, I PERISH”

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” —Esther 4:16

This is one of the statements in the Bible most likely to be offered as an example of courage. Urged by Mordecai to accept that she could not—and should not—hope to rely on her privileged position to avoid risks or responsibilities to her people, Esther acknowledged that she might well have been put in her position “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). She asked for the earnest prayers of the people and committed to fasting and praying herself. Then, she would risk her life by going to see the king uninvited. “And if I perish, I perish,” she concluded. It was commitment and faith, compassion and compulsion, all in one act of courage. It took courage, but it was part of a larger plan. It began with the prayers of the people—there was a whole community praying behind her. Then, there was her personal and spiritual preparation, coordinated with the prayers of her people. Even in appearing before the king, Esther adopted a careful, perhaps strategic, approach to making her request. She took her time, first inviting the king and Haman to eat with her on consecutive days and only then telling the king of her real request. Undoubtedly, this was a statement and an act of courage by Esther.

There was much to admire in what she did, risking herself for the sake of her people. But her courage was covered in prayer and enacted with careful and creative thinking. As such, this is rightly remembered as an example of what courage can be—and the difference it can make.