"So The Holy Bible Says"

Daniel Erlander writes in Manna and Mercy:  “Something started to happen which upset the One who loves all people.”  It started happening centuries ago when the leaders of the Israelites decided that they (the “called-forth” people, meant to be “partners with God) had to be completely separated from foreigners in order to live as God’s “special people.”  One of the leaders (Ezra) commanded all the men who were married to foreign wives to put those wives away and to rid themselves of any of the children born out of those relationships. Marriages were broken; families were torn apart.  Weeping and mourning could be heard throughout the land and the One who loves all people cried with those who lives were shattered.  His “partner people” had chosen a narrow form of righteousness (xenophobia).  They had forgotten about mercy, love, and community (Ezra 10).

The One (Love at the heart of things) thought about this, “These people love me, but now I must convince them that I love them because I love all nations, all people.  How can I convince them, as my partner people, to bring shalom (peace), healing, blessing, ‘manna society’ to all people?”  God rejoiced because a small segment (a remnant) of his partner people refused to go along with the popular point of view.  They believed God loves all people.  Through this minority God spoke to the whole people in the form of simple and beautiful stories.

One of these stories portrayed Ruth the Moabite (Ruth 1:4).  During the early history of Israel this “foreign wife” not only became part of God’s partner people; she became the grandmother of  the beloved King David and the ancestor of the promised Messiah (Ruth 1:17, Matt 1).  Ruth’s words to her Hebrew mother-in-law must never be forgotten:  “Your people will be my people and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Yet another story was told about a prophet named Jonah. God asked him to go to Nineveh, a foreign city.  Jonah didn’t want to go.  He, like his own people, ran away from the mission to help “the others,” those who were different .  After an encounter with a big fish, Jonah finally makes it to Nineveh.  His words helped the people to see differently and God’s mercy fell upon those people (even the cows were converted).  Jonah didn’t like this—he was angry and bitter—he wanted all “foreigners” to be foreigners (to receive punishment rather than mercy).

Through these and other stories, the small minority proclaimed the wonderful words of life:  God loves all people and wants everyone included.  God wants the partner people to love their neighbors.  “So the Holy Bible says.”  And so, also, does the “first” American Thanksgiving.