Excerpt from Jonah 3:1-2

"The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 'Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.'"

Reflection by Anthony B. Robinson

Jonah was called, a second time, to go to Nineveh bearing God's word. What we may miss, unless, we get our Bibles open, is that just before Jonah was called here in chapter 3, he was busted in chapter 2.

Just before being called, once more, Jonah had been spit up and out by the whale. Jonah was, I imagine sitting there on the beach, covered in whale-muck and belly-smell, wondering what hit him. His effort to avoid being an instrument of God's grace in the lives of people he (Jonah) despised had failed. He had been busted, big-time.

But here's the thing. Jonah's failure hadn't disqualified him. It had been an attention-getter, but not a deal-breaker. God still wanted Jonah. God still had work for Jonah to do. God still wanted Jonah to speak God's word of judgment and grace so that the Ninevites could have a new beginning.

Long ago, when I was a young teenager growing up in Virginia, a racist figure of speech popped out of my mouth like an ugly toad. Without thinking, I just said something white people said then and there. I said, "John, that's white of you." The "John" I said it to was my youth minister. I was horrified and ashamed. I didn't even talk like that. I guess I was trying to be cool or something. But I was busted.

I was busted but our relationship wasn't ended. John didn't wash his hands of me or give up on me, despite the ugly evidence. In fact, he called me. Called to me to take part in youth group work with an African-American partner church in Washington, D. C. Our God is the God of the second-chance. You can badly fail yourself and others, but that doesn't mean God gives up on you. Ask Jonah. Ask me.

Prayer

Thank you, God, that there's more grace in you than sin in us. Thank you for not giving up on us when that's pretty much what we have coming. Thank you for calling and using  people like me, people like us. Amen.

About the Author Anthony B. Robinson, a United Church of Christ minister, is a speaker, teacher and writer. His newest book is Stewardship for Vital Congregations, published by The Pilgrim Press. Read his weekly reflections on the current lectionary texts at www.anthonybrobinson.com/ by clicking on Weekly Reading.

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