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WHERE YOU GO, I WILL GO (RUTH 1:1-19a)

REFLECTION

“Where you go, I will go” is the theme for reflection. “Where you go, I will go” are words of comfort, solidarity, loyalty, and dedication. The words were uttered by Ruth, a daughter-in-law to Naomi, her aged mother-in-law who had lost her husband and two sons and wanted her daughters-in-law to return to their respective families. “...Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up?… “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. (Ruth 1:11-13, 15-18) We shall learn two important lessons in our reflection.

The first lesson we learn is that one good turn deserves another. The kind of love, loyalty, and dedication received by Naomi from her daughters-in-law, especially from Ruth, indicates that Naomi unconditionally loved them when her sons were married to them. It would have been impossible for Ruth to say, “Where you go, I will go” if her mother-in-law had mistreated her. Love is the capital investment we make into a relationship. The return or dividend is immeasurable and priceless. If you have an opportunity to show someone love, kindness, loyalty or hospitality, do it will all your heart for that person may become the family you never had. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favouritism. (Colossians 3:23-25) Naomi’s reward for being a loving and kind mother-in-law is the love, loyalty, and dedication she received from her daughter-in-law. It is unfortunate that some mothers-in-law can be very cruel and unkind to their children’s spouses for reasons best known to them. Let us remember that one good turn deserves another. Life is ephemeral, and the table may turn tomorrow. The person you despise today because of their subservient position in life may become the very people God may use to help you when you are in dire need of support. Be nice, respectful, and kind to anyone who comes your way. For they may make a vow tomorrow to you “Where you go, I will go.” If you have treated someone unfairly or badly, then let today’s reflection move you to seek forgiveness and reconciliation.

Secondly, today’s reflection teaches us the importance of supporting or giving proper care to the aged in our lives. Naomi testified that her daughters-in-law were good to her and her family. “Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. (Ruth 1:8) Ruth went a step further to demonstrate her love and care for her aged mother-in-law when she said, “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. (Ruth 1:16). Dear friend, the aged become more vulnerable when they live alone or when they have no one to attend to them. Life becomes unbearable and very challenging when one lives in solitude as an aged person. There are times you need someone to hold you, bathe and clothe you. Jesus painted the picture of ageing and its challenges when He said that “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” (John 21:18). Ruth saw the need to be with Noami considering the fact that she had become an aged woman.

Although, Naomi wanted Ruth to go back home to her people, Ruth realised that Naomi needed her more than before. Ageing and its challenges are real therefore, we must learn to take care of our ageing or aged parents. Caring for the aged is a command from God, and it pleases Him. “Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. (1 Timothy 5:3-4) The Lord blesses us when we honour our parents by taking care of them “Honour your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 5:16). Ruth was truly blessed by the Lord in subsequent chapters of the book. Ruth took Naomi as her biological mother and assured her of her love and care when she said “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. (Ruth 1:16). These words will indeed bring comfort and consolation to Naomi, especially in her helpless situation of losing her husband and two sons.

Finally, she had Ruth to depend on or to look up to as her companion and help in her old age. Dear friend, how are you treating the aged person in your family? When was the last time you visited your aged father or mother to spend time with him or her? Let us not wait for him or her to die before we organise an elaborate and expensive funeral for him or her. It is meaningless to him or her because the dead have nothing to do with the activities of the living. If there is any love and care to show, then it is now or never. Our spirituality and worship as believers are incomplete when we ignore the aged in our lives and refuse to take care of them, Paul admonishes us that “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8). Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, strengthen us to love unconditionally and to honour and care for the aged in our family and society. Amen