The Gospel According to Ruth

Ruth, a very ordinary peasant, is at the heart of God's story.

Not to the strong is the battle,
Nor to the swift is the race,
But to the true and the faithful,
Victory is promised through grace.

- by Harry Showalter, an Old Order Mennonite hymn writer 

That an obscure peasant, a woman, and a non-Jewish foreigner at that, should be the main character in a book of the Hebrew Bible named after her is beyond extraordinary. 

Think about it. Ruth never led an army, never held any political office, never preached any great sermons or ever wrote a book. Far from accomplishing anything momentous or miraculous, she was in fact among the least powerful people in her community, a widow living on the edge of poverty, a foreign worker doing the most menial and demeaning of tasks, gleaning leftover heads of barley in others' fields.

But hers is a story of how God redeems and saves the the marginalized and impoverished. And this is not through any miracle or magic--no daily manna in the wilderness or ravens bringing needed provisions--but through the kindness and hospitality of God's people. Her story is a preview of coming attractions, when communities of faith generously sell whatever needed in order to make provision for others, so there is "no needy person among them."

This is truly a gospel, a story of "good news" for our time. One that assures us we can all find a place at the welcome table, and that there is enough bread and blessing for everyone in a community that shares generously.