Summary

The web page content is a personal reflection on the story of Jonah from the Bible, presented in the form of a poem written by the author's father.

Abstract

The web page content is titled "An Ode To The Prophet Jonah" and discusses the biblical story of Jonah. The author shares a poem written by their father, which summarizes the story of Jonah, who was called by God to prophesy destruction upon the city of Nineveh but tried to run away. The poem describes Jonah's journey, including being swallowed by a giant fish and eventually preaching to the people of Nineveh, who repent and are spared from destruction. The author's father expresses frustration with Jonah's lack of compassion for the people of Nineveh and his reluctance to fulfill his mission.

Opinions

The author's father believes that Jonah was reluctant to fulfill his mission and lacked compassion for the people of Nineveh.
The author's father suggests that Jonah was more concerned with his own comfort than with the survival of the people of Nineveh.
The author's father implies that Jonah's behavior was petulant and impudent.
The author's father highlights the contrast between Jonah's lack of concern for the people of Nineveh and God's mercy towards them.
The author's father suggests that Jonah's behavior was unbecoming of a prophet of God.
The author's father implies that Jonah's behavior was selfish and self-centered.
The author's father suggests that Jonah's behavior was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing God's will from being fulfilled.

An Ode To The Prophet Jonah

The story of Jonah provides an enigma that is explored further in this poem.

Surprisingly, this image is the first image of choice when I search for “Jonah” images on Unsplash. Though this image is seemingly unrelated to the story of Jonah, I give it props for the cute plush octopus that is being depicted here.

This is another of those rare times when I deviate from my mission of deconstructing the health sciences to relook my Christian beliefs.

My dad is happily retired and is doing numerous Bible studies these days in his free time. One of the studies that he is currently looking at is the story of Jonah, which begins in the Old Testament when God tells Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh to prophesy destruction upon the inhabitants of the city.

He tries to run away from the calling of God, boarding a ship that is bound for Tarshish. Unfortunately, he never makes it to Tarshish — his ship gets caught in a storm and he knows that he is the cause of the storm, hence he gets the sailors to throw him overboard. The ship survives the storm, but he gets swallowed by a giant fish, and he stays inside the giant fish for 3 days.

Ironically, it is for this very reason that some sailors do use the name “Jonah” to describe:

A person on shipboard regarded as the cause of ill luck; any one whose presence is supposed or alleged to cause misfortune.

The fish spits him out on dry land, and God calls him for a second time to preach destruction against Nineveh.

Jonah preaches the message of destruction, and the king of Nineveh proclaims a fasting period for repentance in the hope that God will relent and not bring about the judgment of destruction that Jonah was preaching.

God sees that the hearts of all the people have turned from their evil ways and has compassion on them. The destruction on Nineveh does not happen.

Jonah gets angry with God because he knows that God will have compassion on Nineveh.

Beyond the lack of a polished language, though, my dad decided to sum up the story of Jonah into a poem. This is his original writing:

The Jonah Enigma

Away from Nineveh Jonah fled Not wanting to bring the message of dread Took flight and towards Tarshish he set sail Up came a tempest and his quest is of no avail

Mighty is the tempest and the raging sea that billow Fast asleep with a nary a care in the deck below The fate of the mariners not in Jonah’s thought They who battle the waves with dangers fraught

Deep in the land of no return Jonah called The God whom he abandoned heard him after all Commanded the great fish to spit him out onto dry land Heeded the call the second time and to Nineveh he went

In the streets of the great city aloud Jonah called In forty days Nineveh will be no more Mercy you don’t deserve, you who are evil in your ways For God has already decided the number of your days.

What! They believed and from evil they repent Worse still, the God who is compassionate, relent They are ignorant but yet turn from their crooked ways Should I not in mercy prolong the number of their days?

I am angry, I am angry enough to die Angry enough even to despise my own life Why the plant that gave me shade is short–lived? Why spare the Ninevites who do not deserve to live?

Moaned for the plant but not Ninevite’s plight Apathetic and unconcerned that they will no more see the light Upset that the Ninevites should fast and sat on dust Angry that God did not make the end of forty days their very last

Jonah, whom God called, the prophet reluctant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the man of God petulant Jonah, who ran away from his vision and mission Jonah, eventually fulfilling what God had commission

Epilogue

Jonah the prophet who knew the God of mercy Jonah the prophet who defied God with impunity Jonah the prophet who care not the people’s survival Jonah the prophet, Jonah the enigma

If you are familiar with the story of Jonah, how much would you be agreeing or disagreeing with what my dad wrote? Comments always welcome below!