Where You Will Go, I Will Go

This meditation is based on a passage for February 22, 2011 in the Daily Lectionary Year 1 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).

Text: Ruth 1:15-22

Reflection and Question: There is a very good chance that Ruth’s words to Naomi, her mother-in-law, are familiar to you even if you are not a regular reader of the Bible. It is no wonder that this poetry is second only to the hymn to love in 1 Corinthians 13 as a reading from Scripture during wedding celebrations because it is a compelling covenantal promise of life-long love and commitment. That this conversation takes place between two women is too often ignored. For me, this poetry is a reminder of the many kinds of love there are, and how God rests in all of them. When this passage is read in a wedding, how will your hearing change, knowing a daughter-in-law says it to her mother?

Prayer: Great God of all people, we remember that both Ruth and Naomi are in desperate straits as widows with no male protection when Ruth pledges to hold fast to Naomi and Naomi accepts the bond between them. May their strength inspire us. Amen.