The Story of Purim, and the Meaning For Us Today

I knew the story of Purim, of how Esther saved the Jewish people.  But, I've never heard it from this perspective, and realized its application to our lives today.

I do understand those who wish wars to end, for there to be peace.  Who doesn't want young men, just past childhood, to be kept safe?  Who would willingly send them to war?

We don't, and for that reason, we seldom fight offensive wars.  Mostly, Americans just want to be able to live in peace.

Others in the world don't want that goal.  They dream of capturing/re-capturing terrority, thereby enriching their society, and gaining prestige in the international arena.

They may be part of nations; they might be relatively small cells of slightly larger tribes/coalitions/ethnic groups.  But, collectively, they seek to gain through force - and a LOT of deaths.  They have large numbers of unemployed, idle young men, who they will use, like a natural resource, to achieve their bloody ends.

We might want peace.

But, those that are willing to throw their young into targeted terrorism do not.  The only way they can achieve their goals is to use those men to kill other men.  So, they destroy their own, in the hope that we will weary of the butchery.

The fight will only be over if we give up.  Otherwise, we have to continue until they give up - and that point will be a long time and a lot of deaths away.