Redemption and Belonging

Series Information

Set in the time of the Judges, a time of great struggle and turmoil, this historical short story is a beautiful picture of how God’s compassionate and loyal love can be lived out between people. Framed by the opposites of famine and abundance, native and foreigner, death and life, curse and blessing, the book of Ruth tells of ordinary people who become agents of divine activity. In this short text, God does not speak or work miracles but God’s presence is evident as Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz care for one another with the generous, loyal love that God has for us. That care moves Naomi and her family from bitterness and death to the fullness of new life and inclusion in the royal line of King David. Their compassion and love become a model as we seek to live in community with one another and to be a church that offers each other a place to belong.