as you can infer from my last blog post,
ive been reading and meditating on the book of jonah
you the guy and the big fish thing

i took a nice long walk today from junction 8 to upper thomson road
dont ask me why
and well i thought about why i was so drawn and ministered to by this story

now, there is scholarly debate on whether the book of jonah like several other bible books is myth or reality
such a discussion is beyond me
even if it stories, stories have their place
Jesus told many stories too
so anyways

i think the story of jonah is especially poignant for me,
me being the emotionally deficient, cynical, pessimistic bugger
who'd rather complain all day(if anyones willing to listen)
then go about loving others

its a currently popular doctrine, that of God being a gentleman-
Him being soft spoken, never forcing us, always asking politely and knocking softly
and i do embrace this doctrine,
but as the book of jonah shows us
He's more than just gentleman
we refuse, we turn away, we run in the other direction jump onboard the first ship we see
than God sends a storm and a big fish,
till we're lower than we thought we could go
and we turn back to Him

He's a God who asks politely but insists,
He's a God who speaks softly but firmly,
He's a God who doesnt force our hand per say
but plays punk when He needs to
He knocks softly, but sticks His foot in the door

when CS Lewis says, and Max Lucado quotes that the people who do enter hell are the rebels who finally succeed
i can finally see why.... it must take alot to deter such a unrelenting stalker
oh terrible love, that will not let me go

then the story of jonah moves on to jonah not being happy at what God does
moping and all(gosh a man after my own heart)
and God, in a delightfully irritating and sadistic manner
toys with him by giving him shade and than depriving him of it

We have a God, who upon whim will not hesitate to land us on our bums, and through humiliation teach us how much of an ass we are
ahhh, the God that we serve
(lovely, biblical perspectives supporting my coarser, more ungentlemanly side)


i used to embrace the mantra of the big fish,
how the fact that God will chase and hunt us down even when we run away
thus making it alright for us to run
but i guess after my own big fishes
well
fish innards are already unbearble for some of us when we see/smell them from the outside

You died for me before i knew You
You drew me in and cared for me when i couldnt care less about You
when i said no, You insisted
when i resisted, You persisted
when i tried to run away, You let me fall, then dragged me back kicking and screaming
Oh God of the storm and the big fish
You big, incorrigible, unkindly meanie
for being infinitely more terrible than me
this ungrateful bum thanks You