Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before.” – Ruth 2:11

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 30, 2015): Ruth 2

Introducing the new worst enemy of the United States – Canada. Well, at least according to Ben Carson and a few other American visionaries (and yes, I am using that word loosely.) One security expert began to question the role of Canada as a threat to the United States when he noticed the growing number of “hijabs” on his visit to the Northern nation. Carson has stated in his “Seven Steps to a Safer America” that placing American troops on the Canadian border would be one of his essential steps. Carson’s comment came as the GOP candidate tried to prove that he had a handle on international affairs. Unfortunately, his plan to make the United States safe by defending the Super Power from Canada sounds more like a movie plot than it does a serious suggestion on security – maybe because it is. The movie is the 1995 comedy “Canadian Bacon” in which the United States decides to declare war on Canada in order to save the Americans from Hockey, Polar Bears and Canadian Beer – or something like that. Carson may want to suffer through the movie before he goes too far with his plans in real life – the President in the movie, played by Alan Alda, is soundly defeated in his bid for re-election eight months after the American-Canadian War.

But the comments lead to some introductory conclusions. One being that it is easier to vilify people and nations and believe the worst about them than it is to make friends. In our world it is way too easy to be xenophobic (the fear of that which is not like us), and that is as true of the United States as it is of Canada – and probably almost every other nation in the world. Maybe that is one reason why I like the idea of the United Nation and even the British Commonwealth – the ideas behind these organizations is to find common ground for the nations of the world to gather around rather than intensify their fear and the xenophobia. And it is the path to peace.

In the story of Ruth, Boaz’s reaction to Ruth is amazing. It is not xenophobic in nature, vilifying Ruth because she comes from somewhere else and probably dresses differently and believes something different. Boaz instead accepts her because he has heard of what she has done for Naomi – and because of that she is welcome, even though she is different.

Our reaction seems to be almost the reverse. According to the current GOP candidates, even though 9,999 refugees out of 10,000 would be a benefit to the countries that they want to adopt as their home, the 1 who is probably a terrorist is enough reason to keep them out of our countries. The problem with that stance is that it increases the hate against the xenophobic nations of the Cultural West, and it becomes a recruiting slogan for organizations like the Islamic State. The solution to our security has never been about increasing xenophobia (which seems to be all that candidates like Carson and Donald Trump know how to do); it is by increasing the understanding we have of each other – and coming to love even those who are different – like the Ruth’s in our lives. (And let’s admit it – if the United States and Canada find that they cannot be friends, then we are truly doomed, because they have more shared experiences to base their friendship on than most of the nations of the world.)

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ruth 3