Saturday a scene played out in Platteville, Colorado that looked like a page straight out of the Old Testament book of Ruth. I heard it on the morning news. Boaz-like levels of generosity echo through this story.

Chris and Joe Miller, a farm couple who had finished their vegetable harvest, decided to open their fields so members of the surrounding area could come and harvest what was left.

That sounds like gleaning to me.

The Millers expected around 5 to 10,000 gleaners. Turns out their estimate was wide of the mark. On Sunday 40,000 people showed up to harvest about 600,000 pounds of potatoes, carrots, and leeks.

One women who was heading home with a load of vegetables remarked, “Everybody is so depressed about the economy. This was a pure party. Everybody having a great time getting something for free.”

What a great thanksgiving story! One can only hope the economic downturn will inspire more surprising acts of compassion and grace like this from all of us.