“Stories That Shape Us: Can It Get Any Worse?”
Text: Book of Jonah
The story of Jonah is a one of downward descent, starting off somewhere well and continually getting worse for him. Despite Jonah’s disobedience and lack of enthusiasm in proclaiming God’s message to the people of Nineveh, God still uses him to initiate the repentance of the city. This angers Jonah, and the story ends with God asking a question we must also consider; why would God not be concerned with those we do not associate with or may not like? As people who proclaim that we are followers of God, we must ask ourselves where God wants us to work, even if that place is where it is hardest for us to believe that the call to love our neighbor extends.