Thursday, July 26
Where You Go I Will Go
Narrative Lectionary Daily Devotions written by Kace Leetch from Clergy Stuff.
When Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah's husbands all died, there was little left for any of them. Naomi decided to return to her homeland of Judah. Orpah returned to her homeland as well -- she would have had other opportunities to marry and live a long, healthy, happy life back home.
But Ruth didn't want to return to her homeland or remain in their home in Moab. There was nothing left for Ruth in Moab -- her husband had died, her gods had failed her, she had no community to support her, and she had no prospects for sustenance there. For Ruth, home was where love lived, and she loved Naomi. It was here that Ruth said the words that many of us have come to know about her, "Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God." Maybe Naomi's God will treat her better than her own gods did.
Narrative Lectionary Text: Ruth 1:15-18
So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.