based on Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Often something positive eventually
comes from a disaster. This does not
mean that the disaster was God’s way of achieving the positive. The birth of
David results from Ruth’s union with Boaz (encouraged by Naomi), but the
biblical events preceding that: Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s incest with his
daughters, the famine and death of Naomi’s family… these are not God’s
preferred method bringing grace into the world.
The first widow I ever understood
to be a widow was 25 years old. She was in a college class with me. Her husband
died of a heart attack while playing basketball. He was 29. Suddenly, the notion
of widowhood became clear to me. It was not that a woman simply outlived her
husband, but that there was a blank space at the table, an empty side of the
bed, a phone number that goes unanswered, conversations that become one-sided.
Widows and widowers of all ages and circumstances frequently surround us. And
we forget their status. We forget that they are among those who are considered
most vulnerable and most wise in Scripture. We forget that God’s heart is with
them.
It
is critical to remember that her beloved, deceased partner may not have been a
saint, but she will still grieve. That he is still thinking of his loved one,
even if you are afraid to bring up the subject. That she may grow accustomed to
her new state, but never stop missing the ones who rest in light. Being
widowed, being left out of partnership, should not mean being left out of
community. Let not the community of God forsake those who mourn. It is not
enough to say God is with them. We are to be the hands, words, and consolation
of the Spirit with widows, orphans, and strangers.
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