It’s interesting that most of the time when we talk about Jonah and being thrown into the sea the story goes that the men in the boat honked him out and threw him overboard without much mercy being mentioned.
But that wasn’t the case was it? For he offered his life for theirs in a model of Christ sacrifice. The storm which was an event set in motion to set up a story is also the storms in our life. We all have struggles and difficulties, some very scary and damaging to our bodies or homes or way of life. God doesn’t cause the situation but we are told he allows it so we can grow and learn and progress in following the commandments Jesus gave us.
When we are on the boat and our life is capsizing around us we get no comfort in the growth experience reasoning though. We pray for calm seas, blue skies and a long life that doesn’t end today.
Life is filled with moments of struggles and loss and sorrow. Along with joy and peace and blessings.
Joy and peace and blessings don’t help us grow as a rule. We don’t find ourselves in good fortune and develop a deep spiritual life and learn to trust in God more. That’s not human nature. We grow when we are tried. When we are struggling. When we fall and wonder if our Lord will catch us and we ask does he even care? Knowing we can learn and become stronger in the experience is of little consolation.
The truth is life is struggle. Being a Christian doesn’t remove the struggle but gives us a relationship and map for how to move through the struggle, yes grow closer to God, and know all this world in its blessings and struggles is temporary and that our goal is to get home and be back with the Father in heaven. Everything and everyone else is secondary.
That was easy for me to say but as a parent who has sat beside a child’s bed in the hospital as they struggled to breathe. As a husband who sat with a wife with cancer who just wants to go home. As a brother who sat by my brother breathing his last breath, it is hard and it is natural to cling to life. Ours and others we love. If we are thankful for life and love those around us we will have great sorrow when we lose loved ones.
But we know we are not alone. We are. It orphans. We have a Father in heaven that truly loves us. He sent Jesus to be one of us and dies for us out of love. Like Jonah, the life of Jesus was taken, it was offered and given. Jesus knew where his life would lead and he also knew that he had to die so you and I had a way home. Jesus is our road map. He is the user guide for being a Christian.
And so we endure and grow and often offer in sacrifice what we have. Our time and blessings and even our life. Priests offer their very life. And become Christ for us in a real sense unmatched on earth. We are called to be Christ too? Offer what we have and who we are to the Lord.
Storms will come and go. People too. The good news is we have also been called like Jonah to love others and have mercy for all men and women. To share the good news of Christ with them so they know the hope and love of God he has for each of us.
We were not made in the image of the world. We were not created to fit in this world at all. I watched a clip online recently where a woman explained how gloves were made. They are literally made in the shape and image of a hand. Their purpose is to be filled with a hand. Without the hand inside them they are useless and have no purpose. The lifeless glove has no purpose or value. We were made in the image of God. We were expressly and specifically made to have God inside us. He animates us. He gives us purpose and value and enables us to do so many wonderful things.
If God is inside us we focus on him. He drives us and guides us and everything we do is God doing it. We will honor and strive to reflect his image more, to move as he moves and do his works. And his works begin with realizing we were made, created, designed and shaped to have God fill us and live in our hearts so he can reach out to others through us and share his love and mercy.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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