Ruth Reflections: 01 – Introduction

This is personal.

My parents are no longer on this plane of existence. They meant a lot to me and I know they meant a lot to my siblings. Their departure led to a lot of reflections. It brought to sharp focus what their lives as a married couple and as parents were like and how they influenced me.

I recently considered how they influenced me by how they named their children. I was mindful of that when it came to naming my children too. A name, that I took for granted – and some would argue a relationship I tended to take for granted – was of my sister. They blessed her with the name they gave her. I took the time to read the book in the Bible that’s named after her and I’ve never appreciated it as much as I did when I read it at this time.

The impression the book left on me was how brilliant scripture is at presenting a story full of a wide range of emotions, real human issues and a thread of rich wisdom and love. Ruth is a love story. It is not the kind of love story that people are rushing to film today, but it should be. It’s not the kind of love story that appeals to the mainstream, but it can. It’s a love story that is not about the romantic kind of love.

This is a great story of family loyalty, the dedication of a woman to a new world and the good character of those who dedicate their lives to God. It is such a powerful story to appreciate for its own merits as well as for what it has to say for those who are looking for love in all the right places.

There are four chapters in the book, there are four parts to these reflections. I hope to encourage you to likewise grow in appreciation for this book, its characters and their reflection of the goodness of God. It is personal. It is in recognition of the great input my parents gave me. It is in recognition of the great sister who is a lot more like the one she was named after than I previously acknowledged.

It is in recognition that, as Stevie Wonder once sang, love is in need of love today and that love can be found in various forms and in rich supply in this book.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden