Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. Ruth 2:1
Furniture Row, the fourth largest family owned furniture company in America, is based in Denver with over 330 stores in 31 states. You may be familiar with Furniture Row because you’ve bought furniture from Oak Express, Bedroom Expressions, Denver Mattress or Sofa Mart. Or perhaps you’ve heard of it because you are a NASCAR fan and watched Martin Truex, Jr. win the Axalta 400 at Pocono Raceway in June, 2015 with his #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet SS. But you are probably unaware that the President of Furniture Row is a Christian and a Sunday School Teacher…my Sunday School Teacher.
Tom Faulkner would blush if he knew I were writing about him. He is a true man of God who has succeeded in the business world, in his marriage and family, and in his church and community. Tom is a “man of standing” and proof that even in a crass secular culture such as ours, a Christian man can live a consistent and fruitful Christian life on every level.
Patti and I have known Tom and his wife, Pam, for many years. Tom leads our “Inductive Bible Study Sunday School Class” on Sunday mornings. He and Pam also host our class one Sunday afternoon a month for dinner in their home. Every Sunday, Tom shows up in class with multiple commentaries and translations, along with cookies and other treats for refreshments. You can tell he has spent hours in preparation for the class by the numerous commentaries and translations he hauls into the room every week. A tall, slender man with distinguished silver-gray hair, Tom is irrepressibly optimistic and has a special gift for drawing people out in discussion and then summarizing what the passage we are studying is saying.
Tom and Pam have two amazing sons, one of whom, Doug, is a physician and the other, younger son, Steve, is a youth pastor. Steve Faulkner is a ministry associate with me and often does workshops around the country on men’s team ministry.
Of course, like any other couple, the Faulkners have had times of testing and trial, sometimes very severe. But through the years I have watched them come through those times again and again with Christian grace.
At a time when the secular media loves to point to the failures of Christian leaders as proof of the falsehood of Christianity, Tom stands as a shining example of who a man of God is and what a man of God can do. And the good news is that as one who has traveled all over the US for the last twelve years doing men’s ministry, I can point to hundreds of men just like Tom; men who love the Lord, succeed at their work, pay their taxes, love their wife, raise their kids, serve in their church and are respected in their community.
May their tribe increase.
Discussion Questions
- What are the qualities that attracts Boaz to Ruth?
- In chapter 1, Ruth guaranteed the well being of Naomi. In chapter 2, how is God using Boaz to guarantee the well being of both Ruth and Naomi?
- Do we sometimes excuse our behavior because “everyone’s doing it”?
- Are we known and respected for the quality of our my work?
- Do non-Christians respect us as Christian men of principle even though they may disagree with us on our beliefs?
- Are we a “safe haven” for the less fortunate around us?