The book of Jonah isn’t a mere narrative but a genuine Christian plot displaying the relationship between God and humans as well as humans and humans. The book unapologetically discloses the character of God and human beings. The labyrinth of symbolisms, layers of meaning and varied applicability that this book entails is extremely impressive. It forthrightly declares that God who is deemed immutable is much more mutable in the face of repentance than human beings.
Prophet Nahum had prophesied way earlier about the impending destruction of Nineveh (Nah. 3). However we discover through the book of Jonah that the wrath of God is intended for the benevolence of human beings (3:10) while the wrath of humans is malevolent not only towards their fellow humans but also God Himself (1:5). The Cross of Christ is the greatest example of the extent to which humans and God could stoop to; humans in their hubris and God in His humility.
God might have deployed Jonah for the repentance of Ninevites but ultimately it is Jonah himself who repents and is purged of his fundamental nationalism, religious bigotry and self-absorbed faith. The racial superiority that Jonah fosters is evident in 2Kings 14. When prophets like Amos and Hosea reproved the unjust administration of King Jeroboam II, it was only prophet Jonah who endorsed the aggressive policies of King Jeroboam II in invading territories and expanding the power and influence of Israel (2Kings 14:25). No wonder Jonah turns out to be the only Hebrew prophet sent to a Gentile nation making him the first ever Apostle to the Gentiles. It was an attempt by God to call out Jonah’s partisanship and reveal God’s non-partisanship. The mercy of God breaches territories embracing all and so must our love and loyalty.
“𝘐𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘴, 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭.” (𝘌𝘱𝘩 3:5-6)
Reducing God to a particular territory, tribe, clan, nation and/or geographical space is evil and toxic. It is the idolization and de-personalization of God. It is a slap on the face of the apostolic mission of Jesus Christ – the Son of God – who was sent for the salvation of the whole world (John 3:16) regardless of differences of any sort and manner (Is 52:10; Ps 145:14-16). Crusades, Zionism and even Judeo-Christian civilization draw their subsistence from this Theology of Partisan which tags a refugee an infiltrator, an immigrant an intruder and an aboriginal an outcast.
Holy Eucharist is catholic insofar as it decentralizes Christ on the coordinates of time and space. The fullness of Christ is present wherever the Holy Eucharist is celebrated. Yet our obstinance in calling and defending a particular geographical location as “The Holy Land” (an idea to which neither the Scriptures, Christ, the apostles nor the patristic corpus adhere to) limits the presence and providence of God. Christianity is a Catholic Faith only if it is Non-Partisan.
~ 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐨 𝐅𝐫. 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥
Urho, The Way 