On the beauty & imperfection of community
The book of Ruth tells the story of Naomi (the bitter, grieving mother-in-law) and Ruth (the Moabite daughter-in-law who refuses to let her mother-in-law walk this dangerous journey alone). After suffering horrendous losses, these women return to Naomi’s hometown and ultimately seek food & refuge with Boaz. Boaz and Ruth eventually marry and have a son together. Lots happens in between, but you get the gist: the storyline moves from emptiness to fulfillment.
At the end of the story (where we landed on Sunday), it becomes clear that this is not just Ruth & Naomi’s tale; it’s the story of a community, too. The town women have been paying attention to all that has taken place and they joyfully testify to what they’ve seen unfold in the life of Naomi. They have walked through the dark night & into the light of day with her. They have witnessed her reversal of fortunes. They’ve seen some new life, some restoration, some resurrection from the dead!
Being in community affords us these beautiful moments together.
As we share our stories and our lives with one another, as we look for glimpses of the Divine together, as we show up repeatedly in the good, the bad, the ugly & the uncertain, we witness moments of ridiculous grace & goodness. Community can be a healing force in a hurting world.
And community is also imperfect. We fail, we don’t get it, we “ghost” (suddenly & abruptly disappear from community with no explanation), we hurt one another, we choose comfort over making more & more room for “the other”. We are ever & always a work in progress - an imperfect expression of Love.
We see this imperfection at the end of Naomi & Ruth’s story. After seeing the miracle of new life unfold, the town women pour on the praise for Naomi. They even call Ruth’s son “Naomi’s baby boy”(!) before mentioning Ruth’s role. Still struggling to equally include this Moabite foreigner, they all but leave her out.
They still don’t get it. They still don’t get that the foreigner - “the other” - this stranger to them - holds the key to their survival. They still don’t see that radical lovingkindness is the way forward.
Oh the beauty & imperfection of community...
Even as they announced Ruth was “worth more than 7 sons!”, the town women still have room to grow. As do we.
And speaking of Ruth... where is she as this story ends?
Conversation with a friend this morning reminded me that Ruth did not grovel for the recognition I think she deserved. She did not seek anyone’s approval or wait for permission to keep showing up. She did not need their blessing to keep being a force for good in the world. Nor did she disappear as the narrative ended.
Rather, it appears this marginalized Moabite woman took her rightful place in the genealogy of King David and ultimately, in the ancestral line of Jesus.
May we have the courage to know this kind of belonging, the compassion to make more and more room for “the other” and the resilience to keep becoming the most beautiful version of imperfect community we can be.