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Ruth 2 At the end of Chapter 1, there is a brief dialogue between Naomi and the women of Bethlehem. They ask, “Is this Naomi?” and she replies, “Don’t call me Naomi; call me Mara.” Naomi means sweetness; Mara means bitter. All the sweetness has been drained out of her life, leaving nothing but bitterness. She blames God, and this may be fair in Naomi’s world. Just as God is praised for the blessings of life, God is also assumed to be behind life’s losses. Of greater concern, though, is that Naomi lacks hope. Using the image of fullness and emptiness she evokes, Naomi does not appear to expect to be full ever again. Perhaps her state of despair prevents her from taking any initiative in Bethlehem. When Ruth says to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean…” she is probably not asking for permission, but saying something like, “I think I’ll go to the field and glean…” Naomi needs someone to look out for her, and that is just what Ruth has come to do. Gleaning was an importa...