“And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also’” (Acts 17:6, ESV).

         Holy cow! It was a crime of epic proportions. Last October, authorities in London arrested a sixty-three-year-old man who allegedly stole 48,500 pounds of cheddar cheese from Neal’s Yard Dairy. Many of the 950 wheels of cheese taken from the distributor had won numerous awards and were quite sought after by artisans. The total value of the heist was estimated to be $389,000.

A Story of Hope: Part 4 of 4

Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt…”

(Leviticus 19:34, CEB).

            Leviticus 19:34 is one of 400 verses in the Bible that addresses the care of immigrants. Providing for the poor is the only subject that is mentioned more frequently. The book of Ruth itself is devoted to the manner by which God expects His people to treat foreigners.

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, NIV).

 A Story of Hope: Part 2 of 4

            Life comes at you fast. Naomi had no sooner taken her bridal dress to the seamstress when the terrible news came. Eli had died. The wedding ceremony was postponed. The festivities would be preempted by a funeral. Tears of joy now gave way to tears of sorrow.