Unfavorable and Life Changing Experiences

The book of Ruth talks about a remarkable woman named Ruth, who, although widowed, remained by her mother-in-law and did the best she could to better their situation. The book of Ruth begins with an account of Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, who was also widowed and whose two sons passed away. Ruth 1:1-5 reads:

“In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.  They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband”

In the passage above, it is stated that Naomi and her family encountered famine in their homeland, and were forced to move away to Moab. Later on, Naomi was widowed, which was then followed by the passing away of her sons. It is clear that Naomi has had many unfortunate experiences that seemed to have been out of her control. These unfavorable and even life-changing experiences are what Werner Erhard refers to as “breakdowns”.