"Ruth: Where You Go..." sermon preview

With the season of Lent past once again and our celebration of Easter completed (though the season of Easter continues), we return this week to our Through the Bible in a Year readings.  With that we find ourselves in the midst of the time of the judges and in particular the story of Ruth.

There are many things that we could consider in looking at the story of Ruth, but what stands out to me most in this reading through the book are the dynamics of immigration present.  In the first place, Naomi's family immigrated to Moab due to a famine.  Then once the men of the family died, Naomi returned home and took with her Ruth, a Moabite.  Thus Ruth then immigrated into the land of Israel.

Migration/Immigration has been a reality of the world for ages gone by.  It was a reality to numerous characters of the Bible including Abram and the whole family of Jacob.  We too are faced with the realities of immigration in our time.  And perhaps in reading through the story of Ruth and her settling into the land of Israel, we find some indicators of what it means to respond to immigrants faithfully.

To be fair, one might say that Boaz had ulterior motives in his choices to care for Ruth in the way that he did, but even so he chose to provide for Naomi's needs when she arrived.  He gave her food, water and safety.  He also did what he was able to secure a future for Ruth as well.  He talked with the guardian-redeemer who was next in line and when that man refused to take Ruth in, Boaz took her in himself.  This approach to immigrants seems to stand in stark contrast to much of our nation's approach to this reality.