Jonah 3-4
Dear RTB’ers,
I’m trying to imagine a real-life scenario for us. Imagine that you are working in an office. You don’t like your job, but you do your best. Then your boss gets an award for work that you’ve done – and never mentions you or your contribution. You sulk. You go back to your office and do the minimum necessary to keep your job. Then your boss’s supervisor looks at your work record and, realizing that you’ve been overlooked offers you a promotion, a move to a much better position. You’re thrilled! You’ve now got a window office and a private room. Then the CFO tells that supervisor that we cannot afford your new position and you must go back to your old office and your old job – and your original boss slides into that new position and that new office. End of story. Your reaction?
I think that I would be seriously bummed and I would be angry at my (original) boss for not honoring my work when s/he had the chance. And I would be jealous of her/him in that new office. Yeah. Not happy!
But I’m not God: And should not I pity [your boss]… who does not know their right hand from their left…? (v. 4:11, seriously edited)
Yes, these kinds of metaphors typically fail to get at the real meaning of the original story. Thankfully, God did have pity on Nineveh and does have pity on me and loves me deeply, even though I don’t know my right hand from my left…
Blessings!
See also: June 3 (2023) / Jonah.