My congregation has been working its way through the Narrative Lectionary, and this past Sunday, the focus was on the story of Ruth and Naomi juxtaposed with Jesus’ discussion in Mark 3 about who is our brother and sister. Informed by the horrific Hamas attacks in Israel and growing war clouds (as well as discord in families at times), I asked myself the question, “How are we supposed to love people from other ‘tribes’ when they don't love us?” I think Ruth and Naomi’s story speaks to this

This sermon on  Ruth 1:1-17 and Mark 3:33-35 was preached at Christ Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg, VA on the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, October 15, 2023. Find the written version at 2pennyblog.wordpress.com. Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this post are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

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