Jonah

I love the book of Jonah. I especially love how real and human Jonah comes across. He runs from God. He repents only when he finds himself in deep deep trouble. And, he gets mad when God forgives his enemies! Jonah claims that he is mad enough to die!

Not that Jonah is the kind of character we want to emulate. In most cases, he’s not. But, if we are honest, at some point in life, we can all relate to him. The best part about the book is that God never gives up on Jonah. God continues to love him and work through him, despite his obstinacy.  I take that as a good sign. God will never give up on us.

Let us pray: God of grace, we do fall short. From time to time we run from you. Like Jonah, we also nurse grudges. We don’t like to forgive. We’re human. So today, we thank you for your grace. We thank you for your relentless love. We thank you that you can and do work through us despite our imperfections. I pray especially today for those who need to hear your gentle, loving voice, calling them back once again. Amen.