The Jonahs that aren't

I’ve been thinking about Jonahs a lot lately. Well, not necessarily Jonahs perhaps—these we might just call “those lost at sea,” or “victims of a whale attack” or something like that. Those who, after G__ has put all cards on the table saying, “You should REALLY follow My will!” still don’t get it, still don’t repent, and die in the belly of a whale.

Or even worse, those who are in the boat as the storm rips through the planks and sails, as the lots are drawn and a crowd gathers to toss overboard the one who has angered the L__D, use powers of persuasion or deception or manipulation to stay aboard, clinging to the mast as the waters claim the boat and everyone in it—all the time saying, “It’s not my fault, it’s not my fault, it’s not my fault.”

It took Jonah three days to give up. I imagine him reciting all the things he should have said to the oarsmen and fellow travelers—the perfect pr phrase to help them understand that he had nothing to do with storms, with disobedience or with greater callings. I imagine him cursing them as murderers. Murderers! I imagine him kicking and screaming and moaning and causing terrible indigestion for that big fish.

I imagine that if someone asked him on day one why he was there—he would have no clue. He is a victim of malice, of stupidity or ignorance, of unintelligent seamen believing in myths and fairy tales. On day two—he would have more understanding, but it’s all because of a disease that he struggles with. He can’t help it—it’s a psychological imbalance—he really should be on meds but he doesn’t like the way they keep him up at night…

And sometime during day three he gave up, gave in, sighed and said, “Ok.” And “Yes L__D.” And “Forgive me.”

Jonah's story--would G_d have done it all if Jonah wouldn't have eventually yielded? When we read the story--I am struck by all the lives hanging in the balance of Jonah's pride. There were the people on the boat and a whole massive city of Nineveh. How long would the storm have lasted? How long would the whale's digestion remain on hold? If we believe in free will, then we must believe that Jonah could have remained angry, petulant and unrepentant. We must believe that those boatpeople could have been persuaded by his savvy insight of the scientific nature of storms at sea, trying to convince themselves of his wisdom even as the water aboard reached higher and higher. Ultimately the book of Jonah is one that shows G_d's will winning out against all odds--but what if it hadn't?

I don't know--maybe He wouldn't have reached out to someone like that in the first place. Maybe He knew that Jonah needed an extreme lesson in obediance and understanding simultaneously with the Ninevites needing a prophet to speed their repentance, and so He decided to pair the needs together and let them fix each other.

But I wonder today if there are Jonahs out there who would rather be eaten by a big fish than let go of their pride. I suspect that there are. And I suspect that there are real lives brought down by their faithlessness and disobediance. And so today I Ask "thy will on earth as it is in heaven" with all the more urgency. Amen.