A good boss
He was the manager of part of a large company, responsible for a number of branches, which he had to visit regularly. He liked to know what was going on - not just the productivity and efficiency, but the atmosphere and relationships. He expected his managers to know the employees' backgrounds. He dropped in at coffee time to talk to anyone taking a break. He was interested in their families, enjoyed hearing about their children and encouraged his managers to be sensitive about the time keeping of single parents, for example. Employees were aware of the very friendly and understanding atmosphere of his branches and productivity was higher there than in other parts of the company.
Boaz employed a number of men and women who worked his lands. As a boss his working practices were exemplary - responsible, authoritative, kind, sympathetic and thoughtful. He acknowledged the Lord in an easy low key way as he greeted his employees. When he saw Ruth, he enquired about her. Although she was simply one of the gleaners, picking up the leftovers behind the employed men and women, the manager had found out who she was and had noticed just how long she had been working without rest. So he was able to tell his boss, Boaz, all about her.
Boaz made sure that the other reapers didn't bother her. She was a widow with no male protector and she was a foreigner. He wouldn't have allowed any sexual harassment nor any signs of prejudice against aliens and beggars. He invited her to help herself to the drinking water in pitchers beside the field and to join the reapers at lunchtime. He gave her extra grain to take home and when they chatted he knew enough about her to praise her for all she had done for Naomi, his kinswoman.
We may not be able to walk into the office and say, 'The Lord be with you', but we can show our Christian concern for those we work with, or employ, by the way we relate to them as unique individuals with a life outside the workplace.
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