1.31.21 - How To Be People of Hope & Why We Can't Afford Not To Be (Kenny Camacho)

SCRIPTURE: Ruth 1-4

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. Where do we notice people really seeing one another in this story? Who do you, personally, struggle to see?

  2. Throughout Ruth’s story, various characters go a step beyond seeing others and actually become curious about them. This leads to real questions about people’s stories and what their needs might be. Is there anyone in your life right now who deserves your curiosity? What would it look like to seek out their story or learn about their needs?

  3. Ruth, the workers in the field, and Boaz are all examples of people who share generously in this story. Why is sharing so important?

  4. Why do you think this simple story was so important to the Israelites, who passed it along for centuries as an oral tradition before it was even written down for the first time?

  5. Kenny said that one of the most important things about what Boaz does for Ruth isn’t just that he’s generous and kind…it’s that he connects that generosity to the generosity of God by telling Ruth that she’s not just under his care, she is under God’s care. Kenny also said that church’s sometimes drop the ball on this last part: we convince ourselves that being generous is enough…when our real responsibility is to connect that generosity to the hope God gives. How can we do a better job—as individuals, as a church—in sharing what we believe about God’s character with others?

Kenny Camacho