The Kingdom of God is Like an Immigrant Widow

The kingdom of God is like an immigrant widow who loved her destitute mother-in-law. That’s what I preached this last Sunday. What I didn’t preach I think is noteworthy: I didn’t preach about the Nov 5th US elections. Instead of focussing on who might end up being the most powerful woman in the world, I preached about perhaps the most insignificant woman in religious history who ends up giving us Jesus. The story of Ruth is a love story. But before it’s a love story about Ruth and Boaz, it’s a love story about a dead husband, it’s a love story about a daughter and mother-in-law, and it’s a love story about God. Ruth is what it looks like to be a Christian. To be a Christian is to have death part us from our former husband; it’s to be an immigrant, finding a new language, a new culture, and a new God in Christian territory; and it’s to love widows and orphans.Give it a listen, give it some thought, and let me know what you think. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit josephlear.substack.com/subscribe