Star Responsibility
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