Page 55 of Love Unscripted
He laughed softly. “You’re sharp, Camille.”
She smiled. “It makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“It does. And with Hegai’s guidance, after a year of preparation, Esther goes before the king.”
“And he loved her more than all the other women,” she said with a mocking tone as she resumed eating.
“Why do you say it like that?” he asked curious about her response.
“Because how could he really love her after just one night.”
He shrugged. “Fair. It may be better to say that he loved what he had seen thus far. Perhaps the little he had seen convinced him that she was beautiful inside and out in the same way it had convinced Hegai. Don’t you agree that there are times that even though we haven’t known someone long we have a good sense of their character and we feel a pull.”
She met his gaze. “Yes, I absolutely agree. However, there are times that we are wrong.”
“Is it that we are wrong or is it that the pull we feel is so strong that we if ignore clear red flags?”
Perhaps he touched a nerve because she dropped her gaze and didn’t respond.
After a few minutes of continuing their meal in silence. He picked up his phone and continued.
“Esther becomes queen. Then Mordecai uncovers a plot to assassinate the king. He tells Esther. She reports it to the king. The conspirators are executed. The king is saved. That’s the chapter.”
“So, now we consider how to apply this to our lives?”
“Actually, my approach is different. When I was younger—when I was a new Christian,” Aaron said, “I believed Scripture was primarily meant to teach me how to live in a God-honoring way.”
Camille nodded. “Yes, isn’t that what it’s supposed to do? That’s what I look for.”
“To some extent, yes. But mainly Scripture is meant to tell us about God—who He is. Whenever we read, we should ask: what does this text teach me about God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit?”
She nodded slowly. “That’s what you did with the first study.”
“Yes. Of course we look at the biblical characters—but equally, what does the story teach us about God, even when He isn’t explicitly named?”
“I like that approach,” she said. “Did your brother teach you that?”
“Partly. I was already moving in that direction, but he helped me synthesize it. He told me to ask two questions: what stands out in the text—what’s notable or remarkable—and what does it tell me about God.”
“Simple,” she said. “Uncomplicated. Yet very deep.”
He smiled. “I’m glad you see it that way.”
“Aaron.” Her tone shifted.
“Yes, Camille?”
“Why didn’t you want me for this role?”
He was momentarily taken aback by her abrupt change of subject. He hedged. “Didn’t I answer this question the other night?”
“No. I asked if you regretted the decision to cast me. You said it wasn’t your choice. I got the impression that I wasn’t your choice period. I’m now asking why not.”
He thought of deflecting again—answering her question with another question—but one look into her eyes stopped him. She wasn’t accustomed to honesty. Not the unvarnished kind. He sensed it. He needed to give her that.
“There was nothing in your career choices that suggested you’d be a good fit,” he said carefully. “I was convinced you could act—play the character well. But because we were dealing with sacred Scripture, I didn’t want to work with an actress who didn’t take it seriously.”
She looked down at her hands, nodding slowly. “Even though I said I was saved.”
