Traveling with Ruth: New Beginnings

   We tend to tell children to share - to share their toys and share their snacks. But as we get older, we hear less and less about sharing as we move more into a mindset of scarcity - thinking that if we share then we will not have enough left over for ourselves.
    But sharing is exactly what is happening in the 2nd chapter of the book of Ruth - the concept of gleaning or leaving behind for those who don't have another way to provide for themselves. Boaz, however, goes well beyond the basic biblical mandate of gleaning. He tells those harvesting his fields that Ruth cannot only gather what is left over, but she can have a choice of whatever she wants.
    What would gleaning look like in our society? What would it look like to advocate and provide for the widow, the orphan and those new the area? What would it look like to not only to tell our children to share, but to embody this principle as adults? How can we use what we have been blessed with to proclaim the love of the Lord?