Jonah a Man of Our Time
Sunday I spoke on Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the whale. He called it “Sheol”. It was his hell. From his prayer we can tell what his hell looked like:
- The Absence of God: “I am driven away from your sight” (2:4). This isn’t concocted or pretended. It is real. Jonah doesn’t feel God’s presence at all. Some mystics call this the dark night of the soul. It is horrible and real. Jesus experienced this on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This isn’t a spiritual exercise, but the reality for many, many people. When people are going through this, even for years, this must be respected.
- The Inability to Worship: “How can I look again at your holy temple?” (2:4). Jonah could not worship. There are times, sometimes long seasons, when worship doesn’t seem possible. How can you worship something that isn’t tangibly there? When people go through these seasons, this must be respected.
- Utter Confusion: “Weeds were wrapped around my head” (2:5). This is when the intellect, rightfully, gets offended and confused, dismayed. All your previous theology and thought patterns no longer suffice because they are challenged by the reality of your sufferings. We tend to try to go back to our easier beliefs, but this is escapism, denial, and useless. When people are going through this, this must be respected.
- Hopelessness: “I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever” (2:5). Jonah’s life was over. Done. He hadn’t read the book yet. He didn’t know the end of the story. He was finished. If anyone is going through a time of deep hopelessness, this must be respected.
- The Feeling of Dying: “My life was ebbing away” (2: 7). Jonah could feel his life slipping away from his grasp. He was dying, watching his time trickle away. When people feel death at work in their lives, this must be respected.
The discussion Sunday morning was lively. Basically, we resist all of these realities. We unconsciously or consciously refuse to acknowledge these as defining the truth of the human condition, and we often retreat into our securities. Some people there Sunday morning are where Jonah was at. They’re going through their own hell. Others have been there and knew what was being said. Others acknowledged that they just didn’t want to go there. It was too frightening and uncomfortable, and they preferred to stand in the comfort of what they believed. It was a good discussion.
The illustration is of a woodcut called “Jonah and the Whale” from the American artists, Barry Moser.
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Sunday I talked about “The Problem With Sin” and tried to go with your interactive approach. No takers. sigh. I’ll keep trying though, I think it’s valuable.
David, great blog. Especially the moniker!
Striking woodcut of Jonah too. Sounds like you are a gifted teacher. I had not properly appreciated the poetry of Jonah’s prayer before. “Weeds were wrapped around my head”–that’s brilliant stuff!
Sad, that I can still be so surprised how well written the Bible is.
I love how you said “this must be respected” it is so vital that we don’t discount what people feel, what they are going through.
I really enjoyed this post.
Thanks
Sunday was great.. I loved the discussion. I love how one person goes off of something someone else says and elaborates or brings clarity even further. I for one was on the edge of my seat loving every moment of it. FAMILY!! I love the community we share.
My mother had a few comments later that day.. having not been in a service like that where the Pastor opened up the floor. She loved it she said that you explained things further and that she could understand so much better than when she listens to her pastor or pastors in the past. She really enjoyed the interaction.
Jonah… I think I need to dig deeper into that man’s life. I appreciate the depth that you are bringing to this man’s journey. It’s so much more than just Jonah was a prophet swallowed by a whale for his disobedience. Thanks for showing me that and for wetting my appetite to dig deeper.
Most of your five points listed above feel very familiar to me. I think I spent much of the past decade there. There’s a massive amount of sorrow attached to those points. though, because of the loss involved…loss of concepts of who God was to me…ideas that brought a great deal of comfort but no longer applied. There’s a process of grieving that I went through in letting these ideas/ideals go. I remember a very clear choice in front of me between leaving church and sorting things out and, staying and going through whatever was ahead while I was in church. I felt that I could stay because it was okay to go through what you call, “the dark night of the soul.” I had so much support from Rothesay Vineyard (you and Lisa, the team, my friends…).
I’m experiencing something different these days: moments each of peace and confidence that God is near. I feel my relationship with God is based on practising the little bit of faith that’s slowly becoming apparent in my heart. Also, I have a spiritual companion that is giving a bit of guidance and shape to my connections with God, which is invaluable right now.
I guess I believe that there’s hope on the other side of these experiences, although it really didn’t feel like it at the time.
Wow, I think I’ll spend some time with this one. I can identify with all of it. (like most Christians, I think).
Hey, I’m 4 for 5!
(is that good?)
sunday was great. dorsey: we don’t keep score. but you’re passing.
lol dorsey
this was my fav post so far - I cant stop reading it. I really like the “must be respected” comment-too often leaders try to stuff holes with paper theologies