Theology In The Raw

Growing up with a belief in God, there truly is no better feeling than when you feel a stir within your soul. It motivates like nothing else, that deep purpose-led feeling cascading you into the unknown –it’s a call that must be answered. Not always is the direction figured out but it’s through the wrestling that direction is gained. Sometimes the call is very directed, “go here, do that” and the task can seem daunting. A good example of this is the story of Jonah. In the bible, Jonah, son of Amittai is told: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me” Jonah 1:2. In verse 2, God calls Jonah to act but in the very next verse, Jonah runs from that calling. Clearly the call was there, he knew the task that God laid before him but it was the last thing he wanted to do. Instead, he boarded a boat in Joppa, headed for Tarshish, completely in the opposite direction of Nineveh. In verse 4-5 it says “the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.” The sailors on the boat were trying to rationalize the situation they were in and were trying to survive. In a move of utter desperation they awoke Jonah who had fallen into a deep sleep below deck. In verse 8-10 they ask Jonah, ‘Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?’ He answered, ‘I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’ This terrified them and they asked, ‘What have you done?’ (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so).”

I find that fascinating. It is revealed that Jonah told them why he was in need to be on the boat and paid his way to secure his position. They didn’t think anything of it until it became glaringly obvious that the situation they were in was related to Jonah’s disobedience. In verse 14-16 it says “Then they cried out to the Lord, ‘Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.’ Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.” In that moment, they knew the power of the Lord and by the display of God’s power, through Jonah’s disobedience the sailors believed in God. That is truly such a profound thing. Jonah hadn’t even done the thing that God had told him to do, but it was through the journey that those sailors discovered the one true God. Even before Jonah preached in Nineveh, God used disobedience to reveal himself to others.

How true is that, though? How Good is God, that even through our own disobedience, God can still reveal himself to others? I say to you, when you feel a burden placed on your heart by God, do it — pursue it. I’ve heard of God and His plan for humanity being similar to the underside of a tapestry. We can see the physical material — a faded representation of reality. The yarn threaded between the tapestry here and there but from our perspective, we are not able to see it as God sees it — the true magnificence of what the tapestry is made to be. Each strand of yarn portraying beautiful shapes and colors — a true sight to behold. Do not allow fear to stop you from answering the call. Trust in the call and trust in God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6.