By Karen

“Then Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn,'” Ruth 2:8-10

When I was preparing for pastoral ministry in my church in Northern Africa, I realized I needed some additional practice with using the simple past tense in French. It’s a tense that’s mostly used for telling legendary tales, for talking formally about events in history and, as it happens, for telling Bible stories. While my classmates skimmed the surface of this almost irrelevant tense, I asked my teachers for a bit more time with it. After all, I’m going to need to know how to read Scripture in French. So, my teacher, an Islamic scholar, asked me to choose a Bible story to read out loud to him as practice. I chose the story of Ruth.

Ruth has been an important character for me for a few years now. I find myself coming back to her story again and again, comforted by the familiar drama and Ruth’s sacrificial devotion to Naomi. I find courage in the story of an outcast Moabite woman who finds a warm welcome in the heart of Israel. I appreciate how Naomi wrestles honestly with her grief and hunger. I resonate with how Ruth seems to be on guard for threats from unknown field workers. And sometimes I chuckle at the antics of the men in the city gate. But the character who inspires me the most is Boaz.

Boaz was out-of-town when Ruth and Naomi showed up on his land. When Ruth asked permission to glean from the servants who were in charge, they spoke on behalf of their master and extended grace to her. When Boaz comes and sees her, learns her story and assesses her risk, he takes special precautions to protect her and provide for her. In every interaction with Boaz, he shows us that he is a man of honor, integrity and kindness. But beyond that, Boaz has cultivated a culture of hospitality and welcome that becomes a blessing to Ruth and Naomi and certainly to countless others in Bethlehem.

I don’t often find myself in Ruth’s shoes. My life has never been upended by drought, war, widowhood or hunger. I pray to never know the depth of Naomi’s grief and agony. But I can easily imagine myself as Boaz in this story. How am I cultivating a culture of welcome? Do others know me to be a gracious landowner? How do I use my resources to bless those who are hurting? How far am I willing to go to be an agent of redemption?

Pray, practice, ponder
The story of Ruth is familiar to many of us. If you do not know this brief story, consider reading the four chapters of the book of Ruth before meditating on this question: With whom do you identify in the story of Ruth? Maybe you see yourself in Ruth, the foreigner and outcast who finds a surprising welcome. Or perhaps it is Naomi with whom you most resonate—as she wrestles honestly and openly with her grief and hunger. Or, it could be Boaz, the person of privilege in the story who uses his security and resources to protect and bless others. Ponder which character in this story you most identify with, and how God may be inviting you to play a part in welcome and blessing.