Without Compromise

“But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her (Ruth 1:16-18).”

Peppered throughout scripture are some amazing women who demonstrated great faith. Ruth the daughter-in-law of Naomi had such great love for her mother-in-law that she willingly left everything she knew to follow after her. What great love and affection she’d shown to someone who had no idea of what the future held for her nor did she see that as a concern. Obviously there was something about Naomi (an Israelite) that touched Ruth (a Moabite) so much so that nothing would be able to persuade Ruth to return home.

The story of Ruth is a story of love. Love for a mother-in-law and a love of her mother-in-laws God. But there is another message in the story of Ruth and Naomi that could be easily overlooked and that is the story of acceptance. Despite their ethnic and religious differences Ruth’s love was without compromise. In a world where there is so much racial divide we can learn a lot from Ruth a woman who didn’t see differences but acted out of love.