As a member of the Interfaith Leadership Council of the Faith Action Network, I attended FAN’s annual meeting with the Governor to present our legislative agenda. I had the honor of opening our meeting with reflection and prayer. Here is what I shared:

Some words to set our intention this afternoon,

A week from today Jews around the world will celebrate Purim, a festival that commemorates the story told in the biblical book of Esther. In this story, Esther, a Jewish woman, becomes the queen, and is forced to confront a difficult situation when the king’s counselor Haman initiates a plot to destroy the Jewish population.

Struggling with her desire to help her people and her fear of confronting the king, her cousin Mordechai encourages her saying, “who knows, perhaps you have attained your position for such a time as this.”

As we gather this afternoon, we turn to you, Governor Inslee, and say, perhaps you have attained your position for such a time as this—to affect real change in our community. And so too for us, like Esther now, sitting in the halls of power, have attained our position for a time such as this—to speak truth and advocate for real change.

So together, we can join to create an environment that is healthy and sustainable, and a population that is thriving and secure.

To create a state where citizen and immigrant alike live free from fear and hatred, where our neighbors needs are fulfilled, and where justice and compassion and equity increase.

May it be so.