Vashti Vanishes

Whom do you obey without question?

Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, "Not only has Queen Vashti done wrong to the king, but also to all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For this deed of the queen will be made known to all women, causing them to look with contempt on their husbands, since they will say, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.' - Esther 1:16-17

In today's reading from Esther, we have perhaps one of the earliest accounts of a woman standing up for her rights as an individual, against the wishes of her husband and king.  And though she will lose her position as Queen, she will not lose her dignity.

As it  turns out, the King issued a decree to all the land ordering that wives obey their husbands.

He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.

So, what's wrong with this picture?

I am sure some will say there is nothing wrong, and I would love to be a fly on the wall in those households.  The point is, after all this time since the King and Queen saw the world differently, not much has changed in the minds of individuals, has it?

Oh, the laws of the land may say one thing, but the laws of the home and the street, and the college dorms say something quite the opposite.  Women are not only disrespected, but they are often treated like possessions, and not always favored ones at that.

One might even turn this story around and blame the queen for the harshness with which her husband ruled, for if she had obeyed him, perhaps he wouldn't have issued the order to the kingdom abolishing women's rights to disagree.

If someone does something we don't like, we rush to pass a law against it.

One of our senators has made that his trademark, calling for new legislation every Sunday when the press has little else to report.  It gets him in the news and people think he is working hard for them.

I wonder of the men in his kingdom felt that way about the king's order.  It's about time he stands up for us men, they may have said.

So, there is a lot wrong with this picture, and it is not the queen's fault.  She stood her ground, and though she quickly lost her footing, she should be admired and respected for wanting the dignity and respect from her husband to treat her like an equal.

The fact that his edict set that way of thinking back thousands of years is all the more reason to hail her now.  Vashti, we respect you and support you, wherever you are.

The lesson for al of us, men and women?  I think it has something to do with standing up for ourselves, for refusing to be bullied and beaten down.

They can't make all of us disappear, can they?

More to come...