Simply Deep: hesed
Simply Deep. A short reflective piece for Arise Blog with something simple yet full of possible complexities.
Before going on let’s pause and take a moment to ponder.
Maybe even look around at your surroundings and listen.
Or close your eyes to notice what appears in your imagination or thoughts.
What is captivating you today?
Simply deep: hesed
Hesed—Hebrew word meaning “loving-kindness, unselfish love, loyal love…”
This word has been staying with me, in seeing, in hearing, and its meaning; appearing over the course of time on a wall within my local church, in readings throughout Scripture, in current resonating resources, and in the subtly of actions if one looks carefully—you can find hesed living within community.
The book of Ruth details a life story which holds great depth to this word. Her story has always resonated with my own heart of hearts. She marry’s, has many loses, hears the voice of God, leaves her hometown and becomes a foreigner, yet hopes and waits with her spiritual companion Naomi to “see how matters turn out” [Ruth 3:10]
Before her journey begins, she is given the way God characterizes loving-kindness:
And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. [Ruth 1:8]
Kindly
In the opening of her story, I imagine Ruth doesn’t fully, if at all yet comprehend what God is speaking to her through hesed and Naomi. It takes traveling a path of faith and trust to unfold what is to come for her, and for each of us.
In listening in to hesed and its relational emphasis we find it steeped in community and covenantal love.
Some gleanings from Hesed: Our Relational Glue (chapter four of The Other Half of Church) give us some deepening thoughts to ponder, and maybe even begin to prayerfully seek God with these moments of phrases (read each slowly, see what words or phrases draw you in, ponder for a moment):
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—“Hesed is not simply strong; hesed is also sweet. For Jesus, hesed attachments are family bonds”
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—“A hesed attachment produces a change in family structure. Jesus and His Father come to our home and knock on the door with their suitcase in hand. They move in and we become family.”
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—“Our hesed attachment with God converts us from fearful slaves to delighted children.” Yes! (my emphasis)
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—“A high-hesed church (my emphasis community) is willing to accept pain and character flaws, realizing that with hesed comes pain, the pain of deep attachment….When a member leaves as hesed-bonded community, it hurts like when a child leaves home.”
Hesed and Joy
“Our faces light up when we see each other,
and our attachments to each other have sticking power.”
neighborhood trails image by m r n
Interested in reading more:
a few writings, The Book of Ruth as an Exemplar for Faith Communities; The Other Half of Church
another example of relational hesed loyal love between friends, “the soul of Jonathan became attached to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” [1 Samuel 18:1}
a few questions to ponder, Where do you see hesed interwoven in your life? In your relationships or in your community?
