Lent Twenty Three "Get up and Walk"

 

Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1525-1569), Flemish
Children Playing
The Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

It is absurd to try to make children’s games reasonable and a great folly to try to purify religions.  

Rémy De Courmont, The Cultivation of Ideas. 1900

This quote reminds me of a seminar I went to with my Father-in-law about sharing faith with people who had no prior experience.  The advice was not to make our church communities fit in with society.  We would most likely fail anyway.  But the person who meets Jesus finds that they are so attracted to Jesus, that they cannot help but join a Christian community.  And before you know it, they will be wanting to give their small meager amounts of money to it as well.  This is the miracle of the new relationship.  

Ruth Chapter One

In the early days of Israel, hardship and deprivation hit the people. Ethan and his wife Naomi left their farm in search of better prospects. With their two young sons, they left Bethlehem and travelled east to Jordan. Tragedy travelled with them, and soon Ethan was dead, leaving Naomi to bring up her two boys by herself. These boys, Marlon and Kilion, grew into fine young men who fell in love, and married lovely local women. For ten years Naomi was surrounded by happiness. Then death struck again. Her two boys died, one after the other. Naomi was left with her daughter-in-law’s, Oprah and Ruth, alone in a foreign land. Naomi got wind that things were looking up for Israel; she might be safer with her own family. She spoke with Oprah and Ruth and suggested they might like to return to their families. They had good prospects and could start their lives afresh. Naomi knew that her future would continue to be tough. Oprah agreed to separate, but Ruth was not so sure. Ruth loved Naomi, and respected her. She made it clear that now she was committed to Naomi and her fortunes. Ruth assured Naomi saying: “Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people. The one you worship, I will worship. And when I die, I will be buried next to you. My life will be much worse if I was to be separated from you.” Naomi was impressed, and remonstrated no more. The two women journeyed to Bethlehem. As they entered the town, many old people recognised Naomi, and were overjoyed to see her. “Naomi!” They exclaimed. “Call me Bitter", she replied, “for my life has not worked out well.” 

PRAYER:  I accept what you have given me with gratitude.