Ruth 1:10-15: a reflection

As Naomi urges her two widowed daughters-in-law to turn back to their own people rather than follow her into an uncertain future, one turns back, but the other, Ruth, chooses the harder path of staying with her. Naomi presses them: go back, my daughters; I am too old to give you husbands; and Orpah, understandably, kisses her mother-in-law and returns to her people. But Ruth stayed with her. Ruth had every reasonable ground to turn back as Orpah did; the easier and more sensible path was to return to her own people and prospects. But she chose instead the costly loyalty of clinging to Naomi, casting her lot with her mother-in-law's God and people. This shows the beauty of a costly loyalty that clings when turning back would be easier. Ruth clung to Naomi when turning back was the easier path. Costly loyalty chooses the harder path of faithfulness. Ruth chose clinging over the easier, sensible return. Loyalty that clings at cost is a beautiful thing.

Notice the contrast between Orpah and Ruth, and the costliness of Ruth's choice. Naomi urged both to turn back, and gave good reasons; Orpah, weeping, did as urged and returned to her people and her prospects, which was understandable and reasonable. Ruth had the very same grounds to turn back; no one could have blamed her. But Ruth chose to stay, to cling to Naomi, to leave her own people and future and cast her lot with Naomi's, a costly, self-giving loyalty. This is a picture of a rare and beautiful faithfulness: a loyalty that clings even when turning back would be easier, more sensible, more advantageous. Ruth's devotion cost her; it meant leaving her own people and prospects for an uncertain future. But she gave herself to it in love. This challenges and inspires us. There are times when faithfulness, loyalty, love, ask us to take the harder path, to cling when turning back would be easier; and such costly loyalty, given in love, is beautiful. To cling in costly loyalty when turning back would be easier is a beautiful faithfulness. Ruth's costly devotion chose the harder path of love. Faithfulness sometimes clings when turning away would be easier. Costly loyalty, given in love, is rare and beautiful.

That is worth taking to heart, for a costly loyalty that clings when turning back would be easier is a beautiful faithfulness, as Ruth stayed with Naomi when Orpah understandably returned. We can take the easier, more sensible path when faithfulness grows costly, turning back as Orpah did with good reason; but Ruth chose the harder path of clinging to Naomi, giving herself in costly loyalty. Such faithfulness is beautiful. When loyalty and love ask the harder path, do not always take the easier way; consider the beauty of a costly faithfulness that clings. Consider the beauty of a costly loyalty that clings when turning back would be easier, as Ruth, when Naomi urged her and Orpah to return to their own people and Orpah understandably kissed her mother-in-law and went back, chose instead to stay with Naomi, casting her lot with her mother-in-law's God and people at real cost to herself; for we can take the easier, more sensible, more advantageous path when faithfulness grows costly, turning back as Orpah did with good reason and no blame, but Ruth chose the harder path of clinging in self-giving loyalty, leaving her own people and prospects for an uncertain future out of love, and such a loyalty that clings even when turning back would be easier is a rare and beautiful faithfulness, so that when loyalty and love ask us to take the harder path we do well to consider the beauty of Ruth's costly devotion rather than always taking the easier way.