She was the nicest girl you could ever meet. All the people of the town really admired her and if you were a young mother needing medical treatment, you would call on her to mind your children while you were away. Children loved her.
She also visited the home for the elderly, reading to them in her musical voice and respecting their need for companionship.
She even had a name that matched her personality – Star – and every mother encouraged her sons to find an open-minded girlfriend who was ‘like Star’.
The Bible class was particularly fond of her. The emphasis was on the coming Saviour and Star was an example of a faithful follower and class teacher. She read the book daily and encouraged others to join the class.
Then the emphasis on teachings began to shift. There were political moves at a higher level and belief in the coming Saviour were carefully discarded. It was, according to an official statement, a teaching that threatened the economy and stability of the country.
The power shift became vocal but was never discussed in class. Only kindness, open-mindedness and respect for all beliefs were encouraged and practiced.
Then one day an official notice was handed to Star. On pain of annihilation, everyone in the class was required to admit whether they believed in a coming Saviour. Star chose to say nothing. She would carry on as usual and pretend it was nothing to do with her.
Denying her beliefs, she convinced herself that kindness, open-mindedness and tolerance would give peace to her whole community.
It was only when her Supervisor confronted her with her denial and cowardice and agreed that every member of the class would go on a three-day fast and prayer mission, that Star reconsidered her position.
You can read the dynamic outcome in the history book written about her. It is the Old Testament Book of Esther (Esther means Star) and it demonstrates that kindness, open-mindedness and tolerance must be backed up with solid foundational beliefs. Anything less is a denial of our faith.
And Jesus said, ‘whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven,’ Matthew 10:33
Elizabeth Price