I was reading the book of Jonah this morning. And it struck me just how relevant his story is.

To recap, God tells Jonah to “get up and go to the great city of Ninevah”, and Jonah really doesn’t want to go. Ninevah is a non-covenant enemy of Israel. Jonah can’t stand them. Instead of listening, Jonah runs in the opposite direction. In the process of his disobedience, he brings much trouble on himself and those around him.

Incidentally, “down” is a running theme in the book of Jonah. Down to the ...