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Esther was one of the original four characters I portrayed at my first performance of Women of the Bible. However, she proved to be a problem for me. At the time I was involved in a liturgical drama group, the Nicodemians. The group included a mime, a dancer and several of us who performed monologues and skits. One of the skits included the story of Queen Esther. Back then I was so undisciplined that I never rehearsed, except out of absolute necessity. Therefore, I would often confuse the lines between the monologue and the skit. God was starting to open doors for me with WOB. However, I seldom chose Esther to be included as one of the women I portrayed, partly because I wasn't confident about the lines, and also because I just didn't like my "telling" of the story.
Then 9/11 happened. There were scheduled performances of WOB on Friday and Saturday evening of that fateful week. Secretly I hoped they would cancel the events, however they did not. I was panic-stricken. How could I possibly minister to people who were in shock over the attack? A still small voice whispered to me "do Esther." "Do Esther!" I responded, my rendition of her is terrible - I can't remember the lines. That’s a terrible idea. "Do Esther" the voice insisted. So, I reread the story, I rehearsed in front of the mirror, and she appeared those two nights. She was the perfect biblical woman to open the program, speaking about standing up against evil and being courageous. The next week I called my director, Kathleen, and begged her to help me. We met and refined Esther's story. I commissioned a new costume from Mary (who now makes all my costumes) and Esther is now a staple of WOB.
Esther's story is so important on several levels. She was a young girl with nothing, her people were in exile, her parents were dead. She was quite ordinary. Yet, God elevated her to position of queen. Can I relate to that? No! But I was an ordinary girl, who rebelled against God, and yet He has reclaimed me and placed me in a position of being a biblical storyteller, ministering to people through these stories. But Esther was asked to risk her life to save her people, and I certainly can't relate to that. But, as a follower of Christ, do we not sometimes risk friendships, are we not thought of as "narrow minded" or just plain stupid for our belief?
Video Clip of Queen Esther
Quicktime
Windows Media Player
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