More Than a Supporting Role

I got the pleasure of going to Florida for a long weekend, and there is something about being close to the Ocean that makes God seem all the more present.

I decided to read the book of Jonah from the Bible and see how this overwhelming presence of God was translated. It's interesting when the actual story line isn't what hits home in a book. It's not always the main characters, but how the supporting actors can change the entire outcome. I never bought into the whole 'there's no small parts, just small actors' craze, but I will admit the idea is growing on me. The Ninavites, sailors and even the worm add so much flavor to Jonah's story. Without the context of others, he would just be an extremist, spastically running around countries waiting for destruction. With the addition of each character, a new understanding of Jonah's true character appears as I got to watch his story unfold. And the most amazing part was to see his interaction with God and how he became a completely changed man when he was following God's plan to a tee.

The thing that really got to me was seeing God's relentless compassion and hope in people. God told Jonah he would destroy this entire city unless they turned from their wickedness. I can compare this to when 9-11 happened. It was like America was Nineveh and we had an imamate threat of danger. Nothing motivates people to find God like the fear of losing their life. All God needed to see was a little change and He became overwhelmingly hopeful for His people. It is hard for me to imagine not only forgiving someone who has been slandering me, back stabbing me, and totally discounting my worth as a human being but also deciding to love and cherish that person as if they were going to be my best friend or family member. God is truly amazing and it blows me away every time I read about his unconditional compassion and forgiveness and hope in people.