3x Stories 3x Visions
Ruth 1:1-18
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.” Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
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It's fitting that today we should focus on the stories of Naomi, Oprah, and Ruth; first, because it is a story that highlights the role of women and their acts of faith and courage in a male-dominated culture, and secondly because it highlights the pivotal moment we now find ourselves in as a people of faith and as a church. Within the story of these three women, we find ourselves and the paths we might follow depending on our current energy level and willingness to follow the Spirit of God. Will we try to pull away to a secluded place? Will we turn back around and head back to what is familiar? Or will we lean into the promises of God with a heart that is open and willing to take a risk on the unknown?
Naomi
While we might imagine Ruth as the main character (you know, because it's called the Book of Ruth), Naomi and her story of tragedy and grief set the stage. Having lost her husband and her two sons, Naomi wants to be left alone. She knows that Oprah and Ruth will live complicated lives if they choose to stay with her, and Naomi uses that to try and convince them to leave so that she can be alone. Grief often causes us to pause and realize what it is we lost or what we can lose. I'm sure that we could name some of the losses in our life that changed the course of our lives; perhaps it was a job, an ability, or a loved one. In the life of our church, I would imagine that we could name losses that shaped us as well; perhaps members who passed or moved away, a conflict that caused division, or changes in worship or tradition that removed something we once held dear. Out of our loss, there is room for change; not all of it is positive, some of it certainly hurts, but there is an opening to see what lies ahead once the raging storm of grief settles down.
Oprah
In Christian interpretations of this passage, I believe that Oprah gets the short end of the stick. She's portrayed as giving up or being "less faithful" than Ruth. But Oprah by no means was obliged to stay with Naomi, and in fact, Naomi would have preferred that Ruth left as Oprah did. Nevertheless, Naomi is convinced that this is the right course of action and believes that this is the best way to care for her widowed daughters-in-law. Grief and loss have the potential to frame life differently for us, and when we experience such hurt, such a loss, going back to seek some type of normal life by the grace of God isn't that far-fetched of an idea. Looking back on our lives this past year and even further, can we identify the ways that Oprah's story is familiar to ours? Are there ways that we've listened to our pain or sense of loss and turned back to what we knew could provide comfort? And like before, are there ways we've seen this played out in the life of the church as well? There's nothing inherently wrong; if we do, it's important to acknowledge these feelings and be aware of how they impact us.
Ruth
Inevitably we arrive at Ruth, who says, "Enough," to the pleading of Naomi. Ruth uses covenantal language, which sounds familiar at wedding ceremonies, to express her dedication to going into the unknown future with Naomi. The seriousness of Ruth's dedication to Naomi can be found towards the end of the reading, where she invokes a curse upon herself in the name of the Lord if anything but death separates them. What's beautiful about the dedication Ruth shows Naomi is that it presents an understanding of what it means to journey along this path of life and faith that leads to the unknown, the unwritten narrative. Ruth dedicates herself to Naomi, trusting in a promise that goes beyond understanding. And understanding the pain of loss as well, she is willing to go with Naomi so that together they may catch a glimpse of where God is leading them. Leaning hard into the promises of God, putting faith in where God is leading us does not mean we ignore the loss, the pain, and the grief. On the contrary, it adds a whole new perspective that may spur us forward, carrying our pain and hope, to see what is beyond what is imaginable.
Around us, conversations are taking place in churches and nonprofits alike. It's a crucial moment to cast a vision for the future, the unknown. For those unable to innovate, they are asking, "What can we do to survive? To keep the doors open, to keep going for one more year?" But, friends, that is not a vision, that is not a vision, it is a question that comes from pure survival mode. As we enter into November, a season of thanksgiving and reflection, we will begin to ask what type of vision we want to cast as a church and as people who are called to be a part of the church. How will you, we, move away from the question of, "How do we keep the lights on?" to "How can we make a deep and lasting impact with the gifts and talents we possess by leaning into the unknown?"
Helping to frame the groundwork for our upcoming season of stewardship, the story of Naomi, Oprah, and Ruth, help articulate the ways we might go forward as people of faith and as a church. We can name the losses we've experienced. Then we can choose whether we want to invest energy in maintaining what is familiar and what is comforting, or if we are willing to take a leap and faith and see where we might go as a family united in the love of God. There may be parts we travel alone, yet our shared and mutual support of one another will show that these connections are what will carry us through to the page that is waiting to be turned in the book of life. May we contemplate our own story as we prepare ourselves to ask where God is leading us and what we are being called to do.