Sat Down to Drink

Currently, reading through the Book of Esther. 

Here is a run down so far. 
In Esther 1, King Xerxes is a king who gives extravagant parties and generously shares his bounty with whom ever is in attendance.  He and his guests do a lot of drinking at these things.  He threw a party that lasted 180 days + 7 more days.  While he was very drunk, he asked his queen, Queen Vashti to come down wearing only her royal crown.  Apparently, she was a looker!  And apparently, she didn't care what the king said or did, because she said NO.  Well this unraveled the king AND his officials.  They were scared...scared that she was setting a precedent...one where women did not have to love, honor, respect and obey their man.  I can't even imagine how this would go down today in our day! 
Anyway, Queen Vashti was a relinquished from her duty as queen and the search was on for someone who was more worthy of this honor. 

I can't help but wonder if these requests would have been made of her if King Xerxes wasn' drunk, although after reading to chapter three I am starting to think there are not many times in his life where he might not be drinking. 

Esther 2-
Enter Esther.  Esther was an orphan.  She had no mother or father, BUT she did have a cousin, Mordecai who loved her as his own daughter and took her in to take care of her.  Now, they are in the line of the jews.  Esther was known as loyal to Mordecai and a woman who won over many a person's heart and favor.  Esther was asked to be one of the virgins that would be presented to the king after 12 months of beauty treatments.  If the king liked her she would be crowned.  However, she was just one out of MANY women who were brought into his harem.  Upon entering, she won the favor of the attendant put in charge of all the women.  Once she is presented to the king, he is smitten with her AND listens to her. 

Esther 3-
Enter Haman...not a nice guy and Mordecai knows it.  When the people are asked to bow down to him, Mordecai refuses and this infuriates Haman.  He then plots the destruction of the jews, runs his plan by the king, the king accepts the plot and sends out an edict to destroy the jews in the 12th month.  While the edict is going out to the people to tell them of their fate, the king and Haman sit and drink. 

And this is where it got me.  How many times do I just sit down and (fill in the blank)? How often do I turn a blind eye to the wrong being done across the world because it doesn't have a direct impact on me?  There are horrendous things going on in this world, this country, this state.  There are people dying, people killing, people pointing fingers and not taking any responsibility and I just sit down and do nothing.  A lot of my reactions are due to laziness..A LOT are due to fear.  But I don't want to be like these 2 who just sat down and let this injustice go on.  I want to take a stand.  We all need to take a stand.  We are falling deeper and deeper...and eventually we are going to fall so far under, we can't get ourselves back up.  And when that happens, we are going to wish we wouldn't have just been sitting.