Forty Days - "Callling Upon God Forcefully!"

To grasp the grace of God through the power of faith sounds like to many a retreat, a relaxing of intensity with God.  Jonah and all preachers who struggle with the God of mercy and compassion find that the invitation of trust is as a matter of fact an intensification of the human encounter with God.  God's mercy reveals to human beings the things over which people have control or not.  Their behavior reveals the impact of God's mercy, as Jonah's behavior as well reveals much about his relationship to God. 

Faith in God's mercy "calls upon God forcefully!"  Forty days is the time, the fullness of time, when God's mercy is available is the intense time of God's dealing with humanity (and animals?)  On with the mourning clothes, ending violence and evil behavior.  And then, who knows?

Is Your Anger a Good Thing?

God:  Is your anger about the shrub a good thing?
Jonah:  Yes, even to the point of death.  (Jonah 4. 9, CEB)

Jonah is surely certain that his anger is good.  Anger is the opposite of mercy:  perceived both in God and in human beings.  Anger is caught up in commandments and works, at the centre of the power of death.  The difference:  Jonah is willing to die for his anger; God is willing to die for His mercy.  Which will we die for, anger or mercy?  Each day's faith answers this question, as we look either to our own foolishness or the foolishness of Christ on the cross.

Enduring the Compassionate God

How does the story of Jonah conclude?  Does Jonah ever reconcile himself with God's compassionate intent to show mercy to those who are enemies of  God?  Do we?  The story goes on, beginning at Chapter four, verse 12.