 |
| Image by David |
†
A GREETING
My mouth speaks wisdom;
my heart’s meditation is full of insight.
(Psalm 49:3)
A READING
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her. Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her gods. Turn back after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to abandon you, to turn back from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do this to me and more so if even death separates me from you.” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.
(Ruth 1:14b-18)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
I would feed you with the finest wheat.
I would satisfy you with honey from the rock.
(Psalm 81:16)
A SONG LYRIC
Listen up, listen up young ones, listen up.
God has sent us you beautiful young ones,
in answer to our prayers.
We will guide you through life's journey,
you are the blessings we all share.
And/But no matter there is one thing you should know,
We are your elders, you know.
We believe in you.
Life will hand you a series of challenges,
some call them obstacles, we call them stepping stones.
Sometimes you'll know that you have succeeded
Sometimes you'll feel as if you have failed.
And/But no matter there is one thing you should know,
We are your elders, you know.
We believe in you.
- lyrics to "We Believe in You,"
sung in the video above by Sweet Honey in the Rock.
VERSE OF THE DAY
Keep company with the elders,
and stick closely to their wisdom.
(Sirach 6:34)
†
 |
| "Endless Pursuit," by Louise Bourgeois (2000). The sculpture, made when Bourgeois was 89, is roughly sewn together with patches of uneven shape and size. All of her fabric art uses this rapid and very visibly messy stitching. Perhaps it represents how much human beings try to make the best we can of life by stitching meanings together from our various decision makings -- somehow they add up to the whole of us. The title suggests on the other hand that in our desire to do more and more, we can easily lose track of ourselves. Still another interpretation might be that it's mother earth. Is the face of the figure older or just tired? What does the sculpture say to you? |
In today's music, we hear the American spiritual ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock join with the choir Vocal Essence to sing a song of encouragement from older people to youth. The song assumes a position of wisdom being passed from an older generation to a younger one. Sometimes the wisdom of elders can offer a soothing and guiding hand to those who are still finding their way.
By contrast, today's reading finds Naomi, an elderly widow counseling her younger daughter-in-law to give up on trying to survive together after both women have lost their husbands, and return to the safety of her original community, where she might still have a chance to make a new life. Here, the younger woman has the wisdom she is passing upward. In an act of profound love and loyalty, Ruth commits herself to staying with Naomi no matter what. The book of Ruth eventually reveals a husband for her who will also provide for Naomi.
The relationship and wisdom offered between generations is lived experience dwelling in the body. Our bodies hold all that has happened to us like the rings of a tree. The lines of aging are marks of survival, each one tells a story. The bodies of Ruth and Naomi held the suffering of being widows without any agency or rights. And yet it is Ruth's body, bending to do the hard work of gleaning, that eventually allows her to find a more secure future.
The body is a location of resistance. Next week, as we make our way through the last week of Lent, we will turn to how the body can become a focal point of activism and resistance. What are the ways that our bodies remind us of our deepest desires?
†
 |
| Image by David |
†
Scripture passages are taken from the Common English Bible.
The next devotional day is Monday, March 23rd.
†
LC† From Dust, Still Holy is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!