Well before Jane Eyre, Lara Croft and Katniss Everdeen demanded attention as female characters, there was Ruth.
Ruth was the heroine of a simple, yet delightful love story. It’s a love story filled with grief, suffering, kindness, risk and redemption.
As a young, poor, widowed, refugee, Ruth moves with her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem in search of food and provision. Girl meets boy and in a risky, counter-cultural plan Ruth proposes to Boaz—her kinsman redeemer. Wedding bells ring, Ruth is blessed with a child, and Naomi is cared for in her old age—it’s a classic ‘they-all-lived-happily-ever-after’ ending.
However, the story of Ruth is not the end.
The hand of God is evidently at work in using ordinary people to achieve His glorious plans. Ruth and Boaz became the great grandparent to King David and ultimately the great, great, great, great … great grandparents of King Jesus.
This is a story of how God is in complete control, even in our pain, loss and bitterness.
This love story points us forward to the ultimate redemption narrative.
In his kindness, Jesus gave his life to redeem his people. In Christ, people of all nations are no longer aliens, strangers and refuges, but by his redemption have become fellow citizens of the household of God (Ephesians 2:11-22).
Ruth: a refugee’s story of redemption runs from Sunday 7 February to Sunday 6 March 2016. We’d love you to join us 10:30am Sundays at The Factory Theatre 105 Victoria Road Marrickville.