Virginia’s Take Away from the Prophet Jonah

Virginia Bailey is a long-time member at Wesley Church. She has led the Disciple Bible Study course, ‘Remember Who You Are’ many times. This Disciple Bible Study course covers the prophets and Paul’s letters. The prophets have much to remind us about ‘who we are.’

After listening to Rev. John mention the prophet Hosea several Sundays ago, I reminisced about how I view the prophet Jonah. I have not worried about how he survived being in the belly of a big fish. What grabbed my attention then and now, were the words Jonah spoke to God after God did not destroy Nineveh and its people. Jonah says “O Lord! Is not this why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. (Chapter 4, verse 2) This description of God differs from the stern, aloof God that we encounter in much of the Old Testament.  
I don’t know what kind of God you want in your life, but I want a merciful God who abounds in steadfast love and forgiveness because I know I need that kind of God in my life. I believe we, as God’s people, all need this kind of God, as well. I want to have mercy from God first and justice second.
In the current, seemingly lawless (and godless?) time in our nation, I wonder who and where our prophets are that should be calling us back to God, back to caring for the widows, the orphans and the alien among us? I do believe they are out there but they are harder to hear and find. Are you one who is called by God to call others back to caring for one another, to call us back to the example that Jesus gave us for how to live together as God’s people? Are you called to be a Jonah in this world?