“Love Knows No Bounds” ~ Ruth 1: 1-18 & Mark 12: 28-34
November 3, 2024 ~ Northwood United ~ Rev. G. Scott Turnbrook
This has been a long week at Northwood. You have endured a massive crane removing the expired heating unit; the stress of installing temporary heating; and a Christmas Craft fair thrown in for good measure. As we gather around to reflect upon the word, I think it is timely to begin with a joke: Why did the chicken cross the road? You might quickly answer “to get to the other side”. But still other punchlines yield “It was looking for the road less traveled.” “To prove it could wing it in the dark!” and finally “to get to the other palette.” And in all the responses, we know that for the chicken, things will never be the same when it reaches the other side? Crossing the road, passing over the boundary, travelling to the other side changes everything! When we move from one side to the other, the world is NEVER the same, either!
The importance of passing across boundaries is found by the number of occurrences we see appearing in scripture. Moses crosses cultural divisions of Egyptian royalty as he bridges the gap between Israelite and Egyptian and leads the Israelites towards freedom. Paul, a Jewish Pharisee and a Roman citizen crossed cultural boundaries and led the early church. Abraham leaves his homeland in Ur and travels towards the Promised Land and becomes the father of Islam, Judaism, and (what would later be) Christianity. And, of course, Jesus. Time after time Jesus crosses any constructed human boundary as if they never existed: speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, healing the unclean leper, dining with the tax collector, and the stories continue. Boundaries are crossed as though they never existed.
This morning the rich story we examine of boundary crossing occurs with one of the most beautiful stories in all literature. Ruth, a Moabite woman, who crosses cultural boundaries and continues in expressing love towards her mother-in-law Naomi, to remind us that true love knows no bounds. A little background on this ancient story from the book of Ruth. If you look at the map, you can see the original journey taken. Naomi had travelled with her family from Bethlehem in Judah, travelled north-west around the Dead Sea and south to arrive in Moab. Settled in Moab, Naomi’s two sons marry, taking Moabite wives ~ Orpah and Ruth. And sometime after that Naomi’s husband Elimelech dies. Now, in that time in history, widows relied upon the care of their family to survive. (no social safety nets in biblical times) With Naomi’s husband’s death, she relied upon her two son’s family’s care. 10 years later, Naomi’s sons die, leaving Naomi widowed along with her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. The question of survival and care is very real, especially for Naomi in her elder years. And as Naomi prepares to journey back to her homeland knowing her fate is drawing near, Ruth offers timeless words of unconditional love, “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.”
These are fresh and powerful words for our world who, so often only ‘cares for its own’. For a world who so often gravitates to others similar to ourselves, or who only cares for those within our own immediate community. This story crosses the boundaries of it all! To be clear, the responsibility to offer care had long since expired in this family with the deaths occurred. And to make matters worse, Naomi, the Israelite, would have been considered an enemy (or at the very least unfriendly) to a Moabite, such as Ruth and Orpah. Yet, in this story, the boundary of nationality is destroyed by the power of love that Ruth demonstrates: “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.”
I wonder what it was that got into Ruth that caused her to utter such timeless words that continue to inspire us three millennia later. Though we are forgetful, aren’t we? We create reasons to lift some up and allow others to fall. We allow some to be persecuted and others to live in luxury. We discussed some of the divisions that our world constructs to base these judgements upon: family of origin, colour, sexuality, social class, age. And the list goes on and on. And if we were ever to forget Ruth’s teaching, a millennia later Jesus would remind us once again. Eric read one of the most powerful sections of Mark as we hear Jesus’ radical call to unconditional love. Asked ‘which commandment is greatest’, Jesus responds with the two-fold answer: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”…and…(in case they missed it) “love your neighbour as yourself”.
Jesus gives a model of the spiritual life that we might see as emblematic of the cross. In essence God’s law calls us to reach up towards God and reach out towards the world. We become a living symbol of the cross in the world today! As we reach up in our love of God: “loving the Lord your God with heart, soul, mind, and strength”, we connect the earthly with the divine. And as we become instruments of God’s love; as we “love our neighbour as ourself”, God’s love flows through us out into the world. You…a living cross in the world of need! You…reaching up: the earthly intersecting with the divine. You…reaching out: the unconditional love of God flowing through you. Reaching up and reaching out.
We notice, of course, that there are no boundaries being taught by Ruth or Jesus. Ruth’s future would have, likely, been far more successful if she let Naomi simply go back to Bethlehem as an elderly widow. Naomi said to her ‘I have no more sons to give you. Leave me be. Find a new husband and start a new family. You will be Ok.’ Yet that is not the way of unconditional love that Ruth, and later, Jesus teaches.
I’m wondering about how these texts are speaking to you today? How might they inform your living? Your actions? Your life? There is, indeed, a lot for us to think about. For me, I wonder if this passage is very timely amidst the season of elections. Finally settling our BC election, there still is much discontent and polarization it seems. We have had the opportunity to exercise our democracy. Now the time is for our province to unite and move ahead in addressing so many of the sensitive issues that touch the vulnerable: housing affordability, healthcare, climate action, Indigenous rights, public safety, and the list goes on. Fighting among ourselves will not move any of these issues further. Speaking of elections, there will be a Federal election sometime within the next year. The same concerns arise as we see a growing polarity among our country. How will we open our heart to think about the needs of all peoples in the nation, rather than our private interests that serve our private needs. And, when I mention concerns around polarization during elections, you are likely thinking of the US Presidential election that occurs on Tuesday as well! Indeed, there is much wisdom in these texts for our world today!
In some ways, this seems to be an insurmountable challenge for us, doesn’t it? How can we love God so fully? Heart, mind, soul and strength? How can we love our neighbours as ourselves? The closing thought I want to leave you with is that this teaching is a practice; it is a lifetime journey for us (if we choose to take it). I shared the biblical map of Naomi’s journey earlier with you. I wanted you to see how far her family came; to see the distance they travelled. I also wanted us to consider how the journey of unconditional love is one that requires many steps taken along the way. Leaving the Holy Land towards enemy territory; navigating rough terrain, experiencing deep sadness and loss; and finding your way among God’s way. This is a teaching accomplished through the journey of life.
“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.”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”…and…(in case they missed it) “love your neighbour as yourself”.
May you reach up and reach out…in love.
Amen.