Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should notice me, when I am a foreigner? (v. 2)
Like most people, I am concerned about the growing refugee and immigration crisis around the world. The burgeoning flood of people coming illegally into the U.S. is hurting the economy, causing a political firestorm, and even creating security concerns. I agree that something must be done, and we cannot continue at this pace. However, reading the book of Ruth this morning, I am reminded of a couple of things. First, migration is not a new thing. In this story, Naomi’s family left Israel looking for food in a foreign land, and then once things got better, she returned to her country with another immigrant (Ruth) in tow. The pressure of starvation and the desire for a better life have always motivated people to seek a greener pasture. The history of the U.S. is rich with people who left all behind and sought refuge in a new world. Immigration is a part of our national heritage and is how some of our ancestors came to America.
Second, this book reminds me that behind the generalizations and the bigger issues, there are individual people with individual lives and individual stories. That often gets overlooked in the discussion. I am sure some “bad actors” are slipping across the border, which is a problem. Yet, there are also many innocent women and children who are escaping unimaginable trauma. Even among those not escaping tragedy, many have been duped into believing lies about how “easy it is” to get in or the “prosperity” they will find when they get there. I am not condoning people breaking the law, but Ruth reminds me that every one of these people is someone God loves and someone who has their own story, their own challenges, and their own reasons for trying to get to a better place.
Even though Naomi was the original immigrant, she was accepted when she came back home. Ruth, on the other hand (who came to help Naomi), expects harsh treatment, ridicule, and prejudice. This is why she is so overwhelmed when Boaz treats her kindly. Granted, he was impressed by her character, but he still saw the person behind the story. My point is that while, yes, it would help if every immigrant had the character of Ruth, what is really needed today is for us to strive to be more like Boaz. I realize the book of Ruth was not written to be a biblical theology of immigration, but the character, kindness, and respect of Boaz to a foreigner should not be overlooked. Even as we uphold the law, we would all do well to see the person behind the issue and love them the way Jesus does.
