pulling a ruth

K and I were talking about pulling a Ruth over dinner and drinks at Gastropub. More specifically we were talking about what it means to pull a Ruth in a modern day context.

For anyone who doesn't know what pulling a Ruth is...I will summarize briefly for you (for the entire story read the book of Ruth). Basically, in Biblical times, God had set up the laws of Israel so that if a man died and he and his wife did not have children, then his closest male relative would marry the wife to raise up children in the man's name so that his line would not disappear. Ruth was the Moabite wife of an Israelite man who died. In fact, so did his brother. Ruth follows her bereaved mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Bethlehem where after a long period of waiting, Naomi urges Ruth to (under scandalous circumstances, for the time) basically ask Boaz (a near kinsman redeemer) to marry her.

Are you with me so far? Okay, good!

So Ruth goes to the place where Boaz is threshing grain after his harvest is finished. By this point they have established a relationship, this isn't just some random man they pick out. Then she lays down at his feet after he goes to sleep, and when he wakes up in the middle of the night, she invites him to step up to the position that he has as a kinsman redeemer for her and Naomi.

Basically what Ruth does, is ask him to step up and be the man that she knows that he can be. She invites him to take the next step and take the initiative in their relationship...the role he should have assumed from the beginning, but that for some reason he didn't take.

Anyway...so back to dinner...

We were discussing what it means to pull a Ruth in a modern day context. Is it enough to talk to a man? Will a kiss on the cheek do it? Is there anyway to stay friends with a man after pulling a Ruth?

I know there are opinions I have on the subject, but I think it is kind of a case by case basis. I think there are various ways to pull a Ruth and each story is different and unique.

There is a huge part of me that hopes I never have to pull a Ruth. There is a tiny part of me that thinks I will probably have to. There is part of that that is incredibly satisfying to think about.

Only time will tell what I will end up doing. Only God will be able to guide me in that path.