I believe most of us are very practical in our thinking. Practical thinking is assessing if something that we plan to do is doable. For example, Bungee jumping. The observation that so many people have done it, and they are doing it makes me think that I can do it also. So, I do it. That is practical thinking.
However,
though we often confuse practical thinking with pragmatic thinking they
are different. In simpler terms the pragmatic decision also asks another
question—though it is achievable, will it lead to some useful results?
Bungee jumping is again the example. I can plunge into the ravine with
one end a rope tied to my ankle and the other end firmly tied to a post,
with all life-saving systems on stand-by. But what am I going to get
out of it? In real terms, nothing useful is going to come out of it. So,
though it is practical it is not pragmatic. But if I am descending to
the ravine to save a person fallen into it, that Bungee jumping is not
useless; the decision to do that is certainly pragmatic.
Ruth’s (the
Biblical character) decision to follow Naomi was not pragmatic. Her
sister Orpah weighed the pros and cons of following the mother-in-law to
the homeland and decided that it is not pragmatic, so she returned
home. However, Ruth was also equally persuaded by the mother-in-law to
return; she also might have found out that it is not pragmatic to follow
the frail old woman who cannot promise a better life. But she still
followed her.
However, the rest of the story tells us that, though
Ruth’s decision was not a well-considered pragmatic decision, it turned
out to be the best for her and her mother-in-law. Orpah who was
extremely pragmatic vanished from the story as she took the first step
back home.
Ruth flourished, she found a husband who happened to be
rich, kind, and righteous in his dealings. She became the grandmother of
the great king of Israel, David, and also the ancestor of the promised
Messiah. Her name is mentioned in the sacred books of two major ancient
religions—Judaism and Christianity.
What turned Ruth’s decision a
very pragmatic decision? It is the invisible mover who is behind the
story of the Book of Ruth. The book got its name after the main
character, Ruth. However, a closer look reveals that Ruth is not the
main character, nor even Naomi. The name Ruth is mentioned 12 times in
the Book excluding the pronouns referring to her. However, God is
mentioned 19 times excluding pronouns! So, in the author’s mind, the
crucial character is God rather than Ruth. Though he is not center
stage, he moves the pieces, to bring what otherwise ended tragically to a
happy ending—and they lived happily ever after.
God is the divine
orchestrator, the invisible mover. He prompts Ruth to follow Naomi back
to her homeland. He leads her to Boaz’s field during harvest season. He
brings Boaz to the field when Ruth was there. He makes Naomi advise Ruth
to go to Boaz’s threshing field to ask Boaz to marry her and protect
her. The same invisible mover makes the marriage happen and a son born
to the once destitute Ruth.
Though pragmatic thinking has its due
place, the success of life is not all in the best pragmatic reasoning.
It is God, the invisible mover behind each individual’s story decides
the outcome of our life. Ruth decided to make Naomi’s God, her God. When
she decided to follow the God of the Bible, God shadowed her wherever
she went.
(Photo courtesy: Arun Mathew)