I once heard a sermon about the prophet Jonah and how weak, cowardly, and foolish he was.  Usually, I’m pretty apathetic if I wasn’t already daydreaming.  But this time, I got really upset and told someone sitting next fo me what I thought.

Fundamentally, you don’t talk about a prophet of God that way.  You don’t become one by being a weak idiot type.  There’s also a verse I really like – “Surely God does nothing without first revealing his plans to His servants, His prophets.”

Jonah just doesn’t want to go to Nineveh because it’s a crap job.  I’m no biblical scholar or minister, but my understanding is that he was supposed to help save Israel’s mortal enemies.  I would have done the same.

For me, NYC was my Nineveh.  I will not write a direct  account but several indirect ones.  Really didn’t want to go there, pretty much tried everything and everywhere.  But it was the only job offer I received for a position I had no interest or training for.  

The story of Jonah ends with him stranded in Nineveh under a hot sun next to the withered vine that used fo shelter him.  I’ve always felt for him.  Raw deal.  I hope at least God took care of him properly after all that.