The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-07-17

CIl6TIu. II u ono m
Of those parts Of 4
the Bible which ~
we might call h
Gods extras, -
something which DR.. Foreman
could have been left out, but which,
once w have It, We would not part
with.
Ways 70 Read Rsii
Ono can read this little tale Of
long ago just A. q tale and enjoy
it, simplicity and beauty. Or one
can ind in It much sociological
interest, what marriage meant In
those far-o6 days, what provisions
were made for the very poor. and
80 forth. Ono can also enjoy and
learn something from the char
actors described In it. each one
slsetched in a few revealing words.
Tho author 10 strangely modern at
this point. Writer'S today seldom
use adjectives (such az heroic.
brutal, clever, or what not) about
their characters: they just let US
$50 them and judge for ourselves.
So It 10 IN the book Of Ruth. But
the way We propose to look At
Ruth" y this: tho book shows
wiah quiet simplicity how tho very
kinds Of people many Of us are in
clined to look down on or shy
away from. are Gods children.
PlaIa People
There Is another book in the
Bible telling about the times when
the characters in the story OF
Ruth were alive; it Is tho Book Of
Judges. It Is full Of stories.
0ut mono Of those heroes appears
on the pages Of Ruth" and none
Of the characters In Ruth" are
mentioned in the tales Of blood and
battle that make up the Book OF
Judges. Apart from all the fame
and the glory. apart from the
people who nowadays would make
the headlines. lived the simple
farmers and poor people whom
Ruth knew. You might get the
idea from reading Judges that God
Is interested only in brilliant. ex-
ceptional people. great leaders and
heroes. But the book OF Ruth
brings out the point, for the
thoughtful reader. that God has
just as much interest in the hum
bic as in the great and famous. His
children are everywhere
The FsrsIgass
It was written In the Hebrew
law that certain foreigners were
not to be welcomed, not to be
treated as equals. not to be mar
ned by a Hebrew. Moabites were
especially to be kept apart. no
descendant Of Z Moabite. to the
tenth generation, was TO be &C.
copied a. Z member Of ths con
Rregation" Of Israel. Yet nrst
Mahlon and then Boaz married
this Moabtts girl. Boax knew she
was q foreigner, but his question
was not: What 10 her nationality
but, What kind Of woman - she
Boaz was one Of those rare people
who are kinder than any law re-
q,nYes: who look on people - n
dividlals, not as members OF q
(perhaps hatsd) group. It Is hard
for W today to think Of God -
having children IN viet-Nam and
Csecho- glovaleia and Thailand and
other ~outaandash" places. BNt b
does!
Da.lave
The most impressive and solem1
expression Of the devotion OF ons
person 70 another u found here u
the book Of Ruth. Strangely enough
(some would think it il addressed
to q mother-in-law. How down-to'
earth The Bible 10! Many people
think Of in-laws a. either away on
yonder, a strange tribe, or else a
an interfering lot when they hvt
too close. They have status onl,
because they are married to soms
Of US. Nothing could be more ab'
surd. Gods children are your in
laws just ~ much a. your own
people. This particular in-law-ol
we ought to say, this pair Of then
were closer, moro helpful to each
other and more understanding
than their own hesh and blood
There may b undiscovered treas
ures among your in-hws!
-, 3d. e ..slis:s sssyrY.Eas ....,d =;
National Council q ~ Churches =
Christ . tAe Q. 8. 4. 1sasessd b
Ce9naaity Press eesvaes.)
Tabernacle Methods
Revival July 1924
Revival services will be held
Tabernacle Methodist Church I
the Amelia Charge In the Beav
Pond area of Amelia county, Mo
day, July 20, through Friday, Ju
"a. Services will begin each mig
at 8 pm.
The new pastor. the Rev. H.