A visual reflection of the biblical story of Jonah combined with poetry read by our community.
Jonah Poem
By Matthew Hunt Fletcher
Scripture: “One day long ago, God’s Word came to Jonah, Amittai’s son: “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them.” -Jonah 1:1 (The Message)
1. The Lord told Jonah to arise And go to Nineveh.
God’s eyes Had seen their sin.
Their time was up, And soon they’d drink God’s wrath-filled cup.
But Jonah didn’t want to go To preach this dreadful word of woe.
So down to Joppa Jonah trod To try to get away from God.
He got on board a ship that day And sailed for Tarshish far away.
In vain the prophet tried to flee; God sent a storm upon the sea.
Each sailor quickly grabbed an oar And vainly tried to row to shore.
The prophet told them ‘bout his sin And said,
“You’ll need to throw me in, If you want God this storm to end And make the waters calm again.” With heavy hearts they followed through And tossed him in the ocean blue.
The Lord then sent a great big fish To swallow up this tasty dish.
Three days & nights God’s man was there.
In chapter two we see his prayer:
Scripture: “Then God assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was in the fish’s belly three days and nights.”-Jonah 1:17
2. "I called to God in my distress,
Surrounded by the ocean's depths,
Where weeds were wrapped around my head;
I thought I was as good as dead.
Yet in that deep, dark, dreadful place,
God showed me mercy, love, and grace -
The things that I could not perceive,
But chose by faith to still believe.
From fish's gut I give my praise To You, the sov'reign God who saves."
'Twas then God did the fish command;
It threw up Jonah on dry land.
3. With slimy Jonah back on shore, God spoke to him just like before.
Determined this time to obey,
The prophet left without delay For Nineveh, that no-good town,
Where God would rain his judgment down.
“In forty days, you’ll be o’erthrown!”,
The prophet said in somber tone.
The people listened and believed.
They fasted, prayed, and greatly grieved O’er all their sin, from which they turned
To serve the one true God they’d spurned.
With mighty mercy God the Lord,
Despite their sins which He abhorred,
Withheld the judgment they deserved
When their repentance He observed.
4. And what of Jonah? you may ask.
Upon completion of his task,
He made his great displeasure known To God for all the grace He’d shown.
“That’s why I fled from You at first –
Because You love the very worst!
Your grace is great, Your anger slow. Why must You such great mercy show?”
Then, angry as a man can be, He said, “Lord, take my life from me.”
But God replied, “Do you do well To be so mad?” –
And then, do tell, The prophet sat beneath the shade
Wrought by a plant the Lord had made.
This set-up made old Jonah smile,
And he felt happy for awhile.
5. But then a worm sent by the Lord Ate up that lush, gigantic gourd.
The sun beat down on Jonah’s brow.
He faintly prayed, “Lord, kill me now.”
Then came this answer from the Lord: “You showed such pity for the gourd –
A plant not made or grown by you,
And here for just a day or two.
Should I not care for Nineveh
Whose multitudes are lacking the Discernment to choose right from wrong –
One hundred twenty thousand strong?
Remember, there are cattle too,
Which may not mean that much to you;
But they are worth more than a gourd
And matter much to me, the Lord.”
6. And on this note the story ends.
What difference will it make, my friends,
In our own lives as we think through
The lessons here for me and you?
When God commands, will we obey,
Or will we run the other way?
Is mercy just for me and you,
And not for other peoples too?
The sign of Jonah points today
To Jesus Christ, the living Way.
He died and rose to save the lost.
Let’s spread the news whate’er the cost.
Created by the Echoes community in Bellingham, WA. Read by community members at Service Church in April 2021.Featuring images and footage from unsplash, pexels, shutterstock and the Echoes community.
Produced and Edited by Matthew Grey & Emma Donohew