Saturday, January 15, 2005

Ruth 1: Reflections (1:1-5)

(Ruth and Naomi, by He Qi, China) In our first section of this bible study of the book of Ruth we have become aquainted with the central characters of the story and their "sucky" plight (props to Stacy for this summary:). We have begun to explore the depths of human suffering and how the oh so common occurance of 'bad things happening to good people' impacts our relationship with God. In a man-centered world, three women are left without a care-giver--a veritable death sentence in ancient Israelite culture. In such dire circumstances a woman was left with one of three options: 1) get remarried; 2) become a prostitute; or 3) beg for one's sustenance. Due to Naomi's age (1:12), options one and two would be out of the question. She couldn't go out and get a job as a Walmart greeter or at McDonalds. No, Naomi would be subjected to a meager existance; relying on the charity of others (recall the Widow's Mite in Luke 21:1-4). The stage has been set, the drama has been cast, events are in motion that cannot be reversed. What will happen to our protagonist and her two daughters-in-law?

(Simon Bening, Naomi Grieving the Loss of Her Family, 1525-30) To the left is a picture of Naomi morning the loss of her sons and husband from a 16th century manuscript. What are your impressions of this depiction? Does it capture her pain? her sorrow? Has the artist rendered Naomi's plight justly?

This week please meditate on Naomi's struggle and these first five verses from Ruth 1. Try to live into her existential situation and see things from her perspective. How would you feel if you were Orpah or Ruth? Can you relive any experiences in which you were in grief and yet had to remain strong for someone else? How did this impact you? We do the story a disservice if we gloss over this pain too quickly. It must set with us for a while. We must be vulnerable before the text to allow its tale of pain to touch our own doleful experiences. This blog is a free-zone: you have permission to be as candid or furtive as you would like. Please respond to each others' comments with love and understanding. When we open ourselves up to the Bible, God's Word meets us in profound and myriad ways. Peace.

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