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Jessica

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Keeping Hope Alive | Week #04

Keep Your Distance | May 8th

What’s the Issue Anyway?

When someone is HURTING, we tend to keep a safe distance.

When we can’t understand WHY or HOW, we tend to keep a safe distance. When we are AFRAID, we tend to keep a safe distance.

We cannot give HOPE from a safe distance.

Trying to bring hope from a safe distance creates a MESS.

What Wisdom does Ruth 1:1-17 offer us?

Naomi did not want to be a BURDEN. (Ruth 1:7-9a) Orpah and Ruth felt Naomi’s PAIN. (Ruth 1:9b-10) Naomi had lost all HOPE. (Ruth 1:11-13)

Don’t Miss This!

Ruth knew the power of PROXIMITY. (Ruth 1:14-17)

How can I live this out in my everyday, normal life?

Bring your pain into proximity with IMMANUEL, God with us. Get proximate by asking MEANINGFUL questions.

Proximity will always take us beyond our COMFORT ZONE. Proximity HONORS the experience of others.

How does this make me a better person and the world a better place?

Proximity unlocks EMPATHY.

Three components of empathy: Cognitive, Emotional and COMPASSIONATE. Empathy creates CONNECTION in a divided world.

What is God inviting you into today?

1. Intentionally try to get proximate with God.
2. Watch the YouTube video “The Power of Proximity” by Bryan Stevenson
3. Move beyond cognitive and emotional empathy to compassionate empathy with someone you know who is hurting.

Thought-provoking questions:

1. Have you ever kept your distance from someone? What was it that kept you distant?
2. Why do you think Naomi was so adamant about Ruth and Orpah leaving her? Have you ever pushed someone away who was trying to help? Why?
3. Ruth demonstrates the power of proximity by committing to be present in Naomi’s painful journey. Has anyone ever made a commitment like that in your life? What affect did it have on you?
4. What are some ways that you get proximate to presence of God? Share about a time when you felt the closeness of God’s love in the midst of a difficult experience.
5. When it comes to empathy, all of us struggle empathizing with one person or group of people. With whom or what do you have trouble empathizing? Who do you think Jesus had trouble empathizing with?