As the epic histories wind ever on, our attention is drawn right in to the very personal situation of a particular Israelite family. Set in the time of the judges, Ruth provides a narrative of hope against the background of the Judges account that laments Israel’s failures so bitterly. With this tiny book we find, I believe, something brilliantly subversive. Here, amidst tales of male heroes routing their enemies we find Ruth, a foreign women, hailed to Naomi as ‘better to you than seven sons’ (4:15). Amidst the Law of Moses – which on several occasions shocked us with its sexist bent – and the tales of Joshua’s cultural genocide, this small story is a beacon of hope; like a tiny grain of yeast that could work through all the dough.

The story of Ruth is simple enough. A desperate Moabite widow with no protection or financial future captures the desires of a gentleman of Bethlehem and he ‘redeems’ her, he ‘buys her back’. A classic ‘chick-flick’, the drama has a happy, and apparently very romantic, ending.

But it is the sub-plots of the tale that give it such power. A Jewish widow is supported by a Moabite widow. When the Jewish man, Boaz, shows kindness to this Moabite waif by letting her gather his leftover grain, she rewards him with far more than this, with her covert night time visit! Though the Jews in this story come out well, it is the Moabite, Ruth, who grabs the hero’s spot. Even the great (and you cannot possibly overestimate how great in the eyes of the Jews) King David, was descended from this woman. Her name even titles the tale and makes her famous.

Having spent so long reading of the problems Israel believed she would face associating with outsiders, this account is a breath of non-prejudiced fresh air. It turns on its head the idea that only Israelites can follow Yahweh. This Moabite has covenanted herself to their Suzerain and demonstrates her fidelity by sticking by her mother-in-law even though she would have been far more likely to find another husband (a crucial necessity to aid survival at that time) if she returned to Moab.

There is a confidence here from the author in the power of faith in Yahweh. A few hundred years previous the message was ‘be separate or you’ll get contaminated’. Now there’s a sense that Yahweh can do more than simply watch out for Israel; he can draw the ‘heathen’ to him as well. And this can happen by showing kindness to the foreigners within.

In this sense, Boaz is an example of a new kind of Israelite. Not scared of difference, he prioritises what is right over what is easy; compassion over tradition; faith over birthright. The choice is risky, but in the end, he and his wife are remembered forever as examples of what can be achieved through mutual trust and love.

As a story of subversion, Ruth inspires us to question the status quo and our banal assumptions about what is ‘acceptable’ and ‘unacceptable’. Are we required to live a different way from those around us, even those who would call themselves ‘Christians’? What is Jesus asking of us?

As a story of fidelity, kindness and passion, Ruth inspires us to risk our security for the sake of those we love; to lay down our lives for our friends and to chase even fragile dreams of love and commitment when the odds of success are low.

But Ruth also gives us a different perspective on how we should live as Christians in the world. While the voice of Joshua would decry the influence of any non-Yahweh worshipper (for us, perhaps, anything not produced or accepted by a narrow Christian sub-culture, such as music, film, dance, literature from non-Christian sources), Ruth embraces the difference and encourages us to look beyond appearances. What is better, the ‘Christian’ band who sing about going to heaven, or the non-‘Christian’ band who sing against injustice? The ‘Christian’ book that brings condemnation or the non-‘Christian’ film that exposes it? When I read the New Testament, it is Ruth, not Joshua, whose path of faith is prophetic. This time, the Action Thriller is crassly shallow, outdone by the deep and gritty Romantic Comedy.

Ruth is only a short story, but it is powerful to change. This is the power of story, a power we should not neglect in the cause of the Kingdom of God (just look at Jesus and his numerous parables). But stories are not just played out in words. They live in the hearts of communities across the world, finding their way into lived-out lives. The world is a stage and you and I are actors and narrators. What will our performance create?

Questions for reflection:

1. How should we judge things to be truly ‘Christian’, if not on who produced them? What will be our tests? On what bases do we evaluate? Make a list and choose your top 3.

2. What does your life and the life of your church say about you? What do you want it to say? What will you have to change?