Life is strange right now. Most of us arenât actually sick, but we must self-isolate and social distance ourselves. Some people are really upset by this. And I will admit to being annoyed at times. And yet, I canât help but to think of Jonah.
Jonah knew that if he proclaimed a disaster and everyone repented they would be spared (which is good) but then he ran the risk of looking like a liar, a false prophet. And right now, some people think that if we self-isolate and no one else gets sick, that means it was never that dangerous. But Jonah was flattening the curve too! The city of Nineveh was not too far gone yet. They could take the proper precautions and gain Godâs mercy. Right now, we too can take the proper precautions and gain Godâs mercy. I donât mean we should fast, wear sackcloth, and sit in ashes. I mean we need to listen to the science and medical communities as they offer their warnings, and follow their instructions.
I donât believe that God sends us instructions the way God did in the time of Jonah. I believe that we have to use the reasoning abilities that God gave us, and listen to those people whom God has inspired to be doctors (and nurses, and other healers) and scientists.
So, itâs time to be like the citizens of Nineveh. We might spend a lot of time at home, and isolated right now. And it may seem like it is all for nothing. But I promise you, it is not. Every time we stay home, or limit our interaction, every time we social distance ourselves, or sanitize things, it is helping to save lives. Every time we limit the spread of COVID-19 we help to âflatten the curveâ of infections, and that helps to keep our hospitals under control.
The bible doesnât say if the people of Nineveh thought Jonah was a false prophet when the wrath of God did not come. Perhaps they knew that their actions mattered, just like ours do now. Do you think they didnât also have plans? Celebrations cancelled? Of course they did. But it didnât matter. It was life or death, just like it is now.
