Disrupting Our Sweet Dreams

In Ruth 3:7-9, the harvests are over. Boaz rests happily on the floor of his grain mill amongst the heaps of produce he’s taken in. He drinks and is happy. He falls asleep grateful. It’s hard to imagine that he is disturbed by the plight of the poor who have been working his field, like Ruth, who will have no other means of feeding herself and Naomi now that the fields have been picked clean.

But Ruth interrupts his sleep. She invites him to rescue the family - to take initiative, to get moving, to act now. And he does.

But it’s hard to read the story and not conclude that Boaz would have waited longer to act if it weren’t for Ruth interrupting his comfortable sleep, disrupting his sweet dreams.

Take a moment and listen to this American prophet, James Baldwin, who was asked in 1989 to wait a little longer for progress in the area of racial equity in America. HERE is a 23 second clip of his cutting words (printed below). As you read/listen to Baldwin, ask yourself - really ask yourself (and bring God into it!) - why do I try to slow down the progress towards justice that others are asking me for?

What is it that you wanted me to reconcile myself to. I was born here more than 60 years ago. I'm not going to live another 60 years. You always told me that it's going to take time.

It’s taken my father’s time, my mother’s time, my uncle’s time, my brothers’ and my sisters’ time, my nieces and my nephew's time. How much time do you want for your progress?

- James Baldwin, in the documentary The Price of a Ticket