“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you. ...’ When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her” (Ruth 1:16, 18, NKJV).
I have experienced a bitter spirit like Naomi. As an African-American woman, I have experienced many losses through racism, sexism, classism and misogynoir. Of those losses, it has been the ones I have suffered within my faith community that have been the most devastating because they resulted in misperceptions of God. Like Naomi, my misperception of God evoked anger, disappointment and bitterness. But unlike Naomi, my misperception also led to loss of identity with God.