Pentecost: Ruth

 We are in what is called “Ordinary Time,” the church season between Pentecost and Advent. If you think about it, most of our time is ‘ordinary’ or at least fits a routine. We can be so busy with our daily lives that we may miss it when God shows up. During this season, we are looking at the lives of women in the Bible who were met by God while going about their ordinary lives.

This week we consider Ruth, who has a whole Bible book. I’ve written about Ruth several times before on this blog. Footprints From the Bible: Cynthia Davis Author She is brave enough to leave her homeland and become a stranger in Bethlehem because of the affection she has for her mother-in-law, Naomi (who we’ll talk about next week).

Ruth the refugee followed her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem where Naomi believed they would be welcomed, if only as the poor and widowed who were allowed to glean the edges of fields. We know from the story that Ruth could have returned to her father’s home and let him care for her and find her another husband. Instead, she chose to be a refugee and befriend Naomi.

Ruth likely faced discrimination when she arrived in Bethlehem, although we don’t hear that in the story. She also found acceptance and love. The devotion of this Moabite woman caught the attention of Boaz who ultimately marries her. From that union comes King David and centuries later, Jesus of Nazareth.

Peter, the Jew, tells Cornelius, the Roman, I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34). Peter comes to the astonishing understanding that God doesn’t care if you are Jew or Roman as long as you seek God. Long before that Ruth of Moab learned that God can take a foreigner and create a dynasty.

Perhaps most surprising of all to those who like to label people—God LOVES each one, no matter their home, immigration status, or anything they have done. Ruth of Moab is a shining example of the inclusivity of God. In the middle of her new normal of gleaning in the fields, God steps in through the kindness of Boaz. In the middle of our daily routines, God can step in when someone offers friendship or a smile. We have the opportunity to be the face of God, too. 

Things haven’t changed much since  2017 when I wrote “Ruth: Foreign No More.” There is always talk about who is to be allowed into the country. We are often afraid of those who are different than we are or have had different experiences. It is easy to dismiss them with labels of ‘drug dealer,’ ‘terrorist,’ ‘thieves,’ etc. It is not so easy to sit and hear their story of a life filled with the horrors of war or poverty or failed crops. To hear of these things can make us vulnerable and remind us that we could be affected by similar disasters. We want to stay safely distanced in our comfy homes rather than ask what we might do to help either at the border, or in the places these refugees come from. Is there something we can do to help grow better and more crops? Could we work to stop war and oppression? Can we help provide better education?

What might you and I do to be a little more inclusive of those we currently exclude, for whatever reason, from our churches, neighborhoods, schools, relationships…?

Is there a simple something you can do to just be kind, and be the face of God to someone?