Cross-culture Comes to a Crossroads

Esther and her older cousin, Mordecai, were Hebrews living in Persia. As such, there was a real pull to compromise in a "world" that prized the superficial (over substance — consider Esther 2:2-3). As the story of Esther continues to unfold, we discover that she and Mordecai were not necessarily the model for us as those who belong to the Lord. What we learn from the second chapter is that 1) God does not call us to simply fit in (vv. 8-15); and 2) Cultural competence is not simply for the purposes of our comfort or security (vv. 21-23). However, despite poor choices, God is still at work to bring about his purposes. And,  because God blesses even through our poor choices (vv. 20-22), we look to the banquet only our true King gives (v. 18). Join us this Sunday as we take stock of a situation that minorities and outsiders often unwittingly head towards or in which they already find themselves, even in our contemporary society.