Wednesday of the First Week in Lent
Lectionary: 226
Jonah 3:1-10
Psalm 51:3-4,12-13,18-19
Luke 11:29-32
Not gonna lie.
I am terribly disappointed that our reading from the book of Jonah today did NOT include mention of the whale – or as Jonah calls him the “big fish”.
Sadly, we are two chapters too late.
We missed all the drama.
- We missed Jonah fleeing from God and hopping on the first ship out of town (1:3)
- We missed God one-upping Jonah by “hurling a great wind upon the sea” where Jonah’s boat sailed (1:4)
- We missed the sailors regretfully picking up Jonah and throwing him into the sea (1:15)
- We missed the large fish swallowing up Jonah (1:17) and carrying him in his belly for three days and three nights to Nineveh.
And by one measly verse, we missed the large fish vomiting Jonah upon dry land (2:11)
Instead, we get absolutely zero drama in our readings today. Not even a goldfish-sized drama. Frankly, I think Jonah is a little surprised in this scene too, what with everything that happened to get him to Nineveh. Part of his resistance to going to Nineveh was that it was the capital of the Assyrian empire which was a constant threat to Israel. It was also well known as a violent city.
Jonah had several good reasons for not wanting to go to Nineveh:
- if he was not successful in his mission, the Assyrians of Nineveh would likely kill him;
- if he was successful, this would be even worse, because the “evil” Nineveh would be spared; and
- if Nineveh was spared because of their repentance, this would be a major point of humiliation for Israel who themselves had a hard time repenting.
It’s a surprise then to learn today in our readings that the “violent” Assyrians of Nineveh put up no fight to Jonah’s message. There was not even one ounce of drama to be had. In fact, scripture says:
“when [Jonah] had gone only a single day’s walk announcing, ‘Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown,’ the people of Nineveh including the King believed God and repented.
Jonah 3:4-6; emphasis mine
Jonah must have been shocked at this turn of events. Perhaps in his heart he heard the quiet words the Psalmist.
“A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.”
Jonah 51:19
We all deal with a lot of drama in our lives. Family drama. Relationship drama. Community drama. Political drama. Health drama. And of course my favorite ego drama starring myself in all of the roles. My intention is not to minimize these experiences for they signify the intense experiences – good and/or bad – that we have negotiating our place in the world.
I really missed the whale drama today. But sometimes, like today, the drama isn’t even part of the story, but it’s a memory that we hold on to, cherished as a good or bad memory.
Our reading today is a reminder that just beyond the drama – or perhaps even a quiet pause within the drama – is dry land. It may take us 3 days and 3 nights to get there or it may take us a few seconds or years.
In this Lenten season, we are called to be aware of the dramas of life, and also to sit quietly – be it in our easy chair, the drivers seat, a hospital bed, or the belly of a whale.
To sit quietly and allow God’s mercy and grace to hold us and perhaps even heave us into a new direction.
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photo : Gabriel Dizzi on Unsplash
julie vieira 