Ruth 4:1-2
“Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat there. Behold, the kinsman-redeemer of whom Boaz spoke came by. And he said, “Ho, such a one! Turn aside, sit down here.” He turned aside and sat down. Then he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” They sat down.”
The book of Ruth tells the story of an Israelite family in Moab and their return to Bethlehem. This scene captures Boaz seeking to formalize his redemption of Naomi's family land and her daughter-in-law Ruth, which required a public legal agreement. The city gate was the designated place for such matters.
What does a space for communal justice and deliberation look like in our own time and place?