A Sermon by Pastor Tom Lacey . . .

TWO FACES OF RUTH: LOYALTY

Ruth 1:1-18, Preached at Congregational Church of Boca Raton, November 1, 2009

A Mets fan, a Phillies fan, a Yankees fan, and a Red Sox fan are climbing a mountain. On the way to the top, each is arguing about how loyal they are to their team and what they would do for that team. Upon reaching the top, the Mets fan shouts, "This is for the Mets!!!" and throw's himself off the top of the mountain. Next the Phillies fan yells, "I love Philadelphia.... This is for you Phillies!!" and he, too, jumps off. And then the Red Sox fan reaches the top and screams, "This is for EVERYONE!!" and pushes the Yankee fan off the mountain.

I saw an ad in a magazine for Transformational Studies Institute. A beautiful Mediterranean style house-type of building with lots of windows, high roofline, and architectural extras beautifying the facility. The ad read: Come visit TSI, the Premier Mind/Body Healing Center in Jupiter! Free Lecture: "Reconnecting with Your Authentic Self" Releasing Guilt and Fear." Learn how Transmutational Breathwork can clear old destructive patterns at a cellular level, for example. To learn more about how you can take your life to the next level call.... Sounds fantastic, right? To reconnect, rediscover your authentic self, boy that sounds like the thing. Who wouldn't want to find the real me, the true you, and not have to keep dragging around the shabby, beat up one you've got messing things up now? It would be like the cash for clunkers program but just for your whole self instead. The truth is, we could probably all use some help calming down, getting some focus and finding a bit more of the center. It would be good for many people to take a look at their past, figure out how they have been hurt and see if they are carrying too much of the pain around with them still today; this also goes for what we might have done to others. There are folks who are working on themselves, trying to stay away from the person they've listened to their whole life, the voice that said "drink," or "take drugs," or "get really angry," or "blame someone else." We all need help finding and listening only to our best self. It is this person who makes our finest decisions, our wisest choices, points us in the right direction, puts us in God's hands, and helps us fulfill our destiny. But that is exactly the issue: Which one voice, which choice is the right one? When I am trying to make the right decision, I've never seen an angel pop up on one of my shoulders and a devil on the other. It's not like that, is it?

There’s a certain harbor in Italy that can be reached only by sailing up a narrow channel between many clusters of dangerous rocks and shoals. Over the years, many ships have been wrecked, and navigation is hazardous. To guide the ships safely into port, three lights have been mounted on three huge poles in the harbor. When the three lights are lined up and seen as one, the ship can safely proceed up the narrow channel. If the pilot sees two or three lights, he knows he’s off course and in danger. What are the "three lights" that need to line up in order for you to navigate wisely the rocky shoals of your life?

The story of Ruth begins with a family of Israelites facing a time of famine, and making the decision to move away from the little town of Bethlehem. When you think of this famine, think of the Great Depression of the 1930s. The mother in the family is Naomi and she travels with her husband and two sons to the land of Moab in search of a better life. Naomi’s husband dies there, but her two sons marry Moabites, Orpah and Ruth. After about 10 years, both of the sons die and so Naomi is left with only her two daughters-in-law. Naomi knows that her best bet is to move back to Bethlehem where she can rejoin her extended family. She begins her journey with Orpah and Ruth, but the fact is these Moabite women will have a better chance at remarriage if they return to their homeland. “Go back each of you to your mother’s house,” urges Naomi. Orpah kisses her mother-in-law and returns home, but surprisingly Ruth clings to Naomi. “Where you go, I will go,” she says; “where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” What a bold and faith-filled statement this is! The God of Israel smiles on Ruth’s determination to follow Naomi to Bethlehem, and in time Ruth meets and marries an Israelite named Boaz. Together, they have a son named Obed, who becomes the father of Jesse and the grandfather of King David. Ruth contributes to the bloodline that will eventually produce the baby Jesus.

It was Ruth's determination to accompany Naomi on the journey from Moab to Bethlehem, to cast her lot with an older woman rather than to seek her own welfare in her homeland, it was this decision, it was her loyalty that made this happen. In Hebrew the word for this extraordinary commitment is hesed; and it's usually translated as "kindness" or "loyalty." Just so you know, Orpah's decision not to go with Naomi is never cast in a negative light. It's not seen as bad or wrong; it's just ordinary and to be expected. We don't know what happened to her; she falls off the pages of history. The ordinary isn't bad, but there isn't a whole lot that God can do with it. The expected isn't wrong; it's just that God needs more in order to make more happen. The three lights that need to be in line for each of us to make our best decisions and for God to make something special happen are kindness, commitment, and loyalty.

When it comes to describing generations, we Americans, thanks to Tom Brokaw, use the adjective “Greatest” to describe the men and women who braved the Depression and fought in and prevailed during World War II. They were a tough and courageous generation, so there’s nothing wrong with such a superlative. But what are we to make of their children, the baby boomers? Would you say “Great” … or even “Good”? Unfortunately, the adjectives that people usually use to describe boomers are self-absorbed, childish, and materialistic. They are great, great at pitching a fit when the Starbucks barista botches their Chai tea lattes, some say. But the truth is if you really look at things more evenly that Boomers deserve credit for a whole range of positive changes in American life, such as improved race relations, women’s liberation, environmental protection. These are all legacies of the baby boom generation. Leonard Steinhorn, a professor at American University, argues that our country is far more open, inclusive and equal than at any time in our history, and he gives boomers credit for these positive changes. Baby boomers are, in his opinion, not just Good. Not simply Great. They are, he says, “Greater.” About women, he writes that “the baby boom era has been one of breathtaking change. In a single generation, American women have effected one of the greatest social metamorphoses in recorded history.” Goodbye, Donna Reed. Hello, Condoleezza Rice.

Whether or not you agree that one generations is greater than another isn't as important as seeing that for both generations commitment to freedom, loyalty to higher ideals and values, and kindness to others were the driving forces behind coming out of the Depression and winning World War II as well as moving beyond centuries of tragic race relations and forging a new era in which we elected our first black President.

Loyalty is loyalty is loyalty. Stick to what matters to you. Stay committed to the good people in your life. Make your decisions revolve around God's values. We don't always get the answer to the why questions in our life; instead we get to play a part in God's larger plans.

Brad Gaines will do it again early Wednesday morning. He'll grab some Clorox and glass cleaner, toss them in the trunk of his Buick and head to a little cemetery 175 miles away. His long, strange trip actually began 20 years ago. He goes to visit a friend he never really knew. Then one crazy football play bound them forever. On a Homecoming afternoon, he collided with Chucky Mullins. Gaines, a tailback for Vanderbilt, got up and headed back to the huddle. Mullins, a safety for Mississippi, never moved again. His neck was shattered. He died less than two years later. We read about such things, wince and move on. It's nobody's fault. It's just football. Gaines knew that on Oct. 28, 1989. He knows it on Oct. 28, 2009. "I know it was part of the game," he said, "but it doesn't change the fact, you know ..." He's tried to explain it a million times why he drives from Nashville to Russellville, Ala. three times a year. If it's the date of the accident or the date Mullins died or Christmas, Gaines has to make it to the grave that's marked simply: Chucky, Man of Courage.

Brad Gaines was a white kid from hoity-toity Vandy. His brothers had played in the NFL. He was a stud running back, the leading receiver in the SEC, a kid whose idea of hardship was getting turned down for a date. Mullins was a skinny black kid from a nowhere town. His mother died when he was in sixth grade. He wasn't particularly fast or strong or talented, but Ole Miss coaches loved his attitude. Mullins would do anything to win. So it wasn't surprising that he lowered his helmet and buried it in No. 44's back. Gaines had gone up to catch a pass. The force from behind knocked the ball loose before he hit the ground. Gaines scrambled to recover it, but the refs called it an incomplete pass. He didn't even notice No. 38 wasn't moving.

Gaines couldn't sleep after the accident. He no longer cared about the sport he was raised to love. He didn't even play his senior season. He did try to get to know the source of his pain. The first time they formally met, Gaines walked into the hospital room and tried not to visibly shake. Mullins was in a halo contraption with all sorts of tubes attached to his body. A ventilator was rhythmically hissing at his bedside. Gaines shuffled near the bed, bent over and strained to make out what Mullins said. "It wasn't your fault." Walter Payton visited him. So did Janet Jackson and George H. W. Bush. More than $1 million was raised for his trust fund. Ole Miss built him a specially equipped house, and he was back in class the next year. Then a blood clot formed in his lung. Gaines read about it and drove to the hospital in Memphis . Mullins was in a coma, but his friend got there in time to say goodbye.

Mullins is buried next to his mother, who died when she was only 32. Gaines will pluck the weeds then clean the dirt and grime off the brown granite headstone. Then he'll just sit and talk and pray. It may seem odd that just can't let go. Why? "He's a person I love," Gaines said, "and I miss." It's as simple as that.

Ruth could never explain why she went with Naomi. Often our best decisions are not the ones we make; the best ones are the ones that we simply recognize as who we already are--we just stay God's course. Stay committed. Be kind. Follow your loyalty; and God will follow you.

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