A custom is begun! Because of the vengeance that the king took against Haman for Esther, the Jews are to remember their salvation. On the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month they are to send gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.

Oh, God, help me to understand violence! Help me to understand vengeance. I am pretty good at the other sins, like lust and greed, pride and gossip, but violence I just don't understand. I also don't really understand the tribalism that is beyond it. Is that because I am an immigrant myself and know that I have lived among many tribes and don't really belong to any one? Is that because I am a coward and don't know how to be truly faithful to anything? Surely there are reasons for me not to enjoy Esther's victory and Haman's use of violence t…