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In touch

Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues

Living one’s love

True love is not merely an emotion, it is a lifestyle. (Ruth 1:16-17)

 

Context

• Sometimes non-human creatures are more instinctively loving than humans.
• True loving kindness, such as Ruth’s, can be experienced for years to come.
• To be real, loving kindness must be active.

 

Ideas for sermons or interactive talks

Isn’t it fascinating that one of the strongest professions of love found in both Testaments should be between two women? Not only that, but they are related as mother/daughter in-law as well as being from different ethnic backgrounds. Naomi is a Hebrew and Ruth is a Moabite; and their peoples have been traditional enemies for generations. They don’t even share the same faith! And yet Ruth’s words to Naomi have been used in countless Jewish and Christian weddings over the centuries. We could either joke about taking scripture out of context or ask the fundamental question: What sort of loving relationship is being described?

At the heart of Ruth and Naomi’s relationship lies a Hebrew concept “khesed” which cannot truly be translated by one English word. You will have seen it variously translated as “loving kindness, covenant loyalty, loving compassion” and more. (It could be expressed by the Greek word agapé. A love which gives without counting the cost.) Ruth herself defines khesed in 1:16-17. Have a look at her words again and think about their implications. Jesus describes such love in his parable of the Good Samaritan. When we experience such love, it forever changes us for the better.

In these days of mass migration, Ruth and Naomi’s story has a particular resonance. Each woman lived as an immigrant in the other’s nation. Naomi lost all of her kindred connections (and her security) through the death of her husband and sons. Ruth voluntarily gave up her tribal security in Moab to keep khesed with Naomi. Their story makes clear that love knows no boundaries, religion or nationality. We are all children of the same God. If we want to live the reality of being God’s children, then we need to learn that we are bound by God’s love or khesed.

 

Questions for discussion

• Ruth’s commitment to Naomi is more than a random act of kindness — it is a full-life commitment. Have you ever made or received such a commitment? How did it make you feel?
• Have you or anyone in your church ever chosen or had to emigrate? What was your welcome like in your new country? Who first offered you friendship? How long did it take to feel at home?

 

Revd Dr Jack Lawson is a freelance writer and novelist. HIs novels include: Doing Time, No Good Deed, Criminal Justice, The Woods and Dirty Business. His newest novel,Joab (Wipf & Stock) is based on the life of King David. For more information visit:www.jacknlawson.com and https://wingsepress.com/pages/lawson-jack-n

 

 

Check-in

Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people

Love, actually

Ruth 1:1-18

When I hear the phrase ‘Love Actually’, I automatically go to that movie. As a teenager in the 1990's, Love all seemed so easy; so romantic; so...not like real life...

Love, actually, is hard work, as we see in today’s passage in Ruth. Ruth’s response to Naomi, who had lost her husband and two sons in the space of a decade, is a practical example of how Love actually works in practice.

Sadly, we hear stories on the news far too often about families being torn apart: by war and conflict in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere in the world; or by knife crime, ill-health or alcohol- or drug-related incidents.

We don’t seem to hear the ‘Ruth’ type stories too often in the news though: the stories of those loving, actually loving others in the midst of their deepest pain.

But maybe we’ve seen glimpses of it in the past week with Sir Chris Hoy, as he’s shared his terminal cancer diagnosis. The love that Chris and his family must be putting into practice, amongst all of the pain that he and his family must be going through, is true love.

Likewise, the response of aid workers on the ground in Gaza and across the Middle East is Love actually being carried out in practice.

Sometimes we need those tough situations in life for us to actually see love; to touch love; to be love in action.  The harder challenge, maybe, is to be able to show love actually when life is relatively calm: in the routine day-to-day life of the school run; the commute to work; and the trip to the supermarket.

 

Jonathan Buckley is Redevelopment Manager at St Paul’s Church, Parson Cross Sheffield, and Finance Coordinator at the Pais Project UK.

 

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