Ruth and Naomi bound together

Ruth 1:1-22

           When I speak of the diversity of God's creation, I am usually speaking about the spectrum of sexuality that is exhibited not only by humans but in the entire animal kingdom. This is a well documented scientific fact. They are not aberrations but consistent and proven fact. How wonderful it is today in this passage that there is also documentation of yet another form of 'family'.

             The conservative right speaks of 'traditional Biblical marriage' as if it is a proven, documented and religious standard that is set in Biblical stone. In fact, if we look at 'marriage' and family in Scripture you would find far less desirable examples of relationships. From slavery and concubines, to incest and rape, marriage in a biblical context is far from set in stone and not always of the Ozzie and Harriett or Father Knows Best varieties.

            Here we  have a passage that is often used to indicate an expression of a supposed Lesbian relationship. The love affair of Ruth and Naomi is set as a beacon of hope for all who are trying to integrate their sexuality and love of God who is often represented as condemning homosexuality by some Jewish and Christian denominations. Whether Ruth and Naomi were a Biblical gay couple is perhaps not provable beyond the shadow of a doubt. The evidence is there in many, many passages.  One thing is for sure though, they represented a different kind of family and that model is one to certainly be emulated. Certainly not a universal norm but certainly within the broad spectrum of God's love and relationships, relationships that express love and commitment.

              Ruth and Naomi are read at countless lesbian weddings because,  if nothing else, it shows a couple who come together to live life supporting and loving each other. This seems radical for their time. For us is it is a shining example of love and commitment. It is yet one more example that the so called standard of Biblical love and relationships is not as defined as some would have you believe.

               Can the love of of God actually be contained? Can the desire of man to love in His image, to come together and 'not be alone' be regulated? The only restrictions that come to my mind are that the relationships be loving, nurturing, have mutual consent and life giving in the broadest sense of the word. Love does conquer all. 

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 one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there for about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons or 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 had consideration for 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.

So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, ‘Is this Naomi?’ She said to them,
‘Call me no longer Naomi,
   call me Mara,
   for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.
 I went away full,
   but the Lord has brought me back empty;
why call me Naomi
   when the Lord has dealt harshly with me,
   and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?’

So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.